The European Commission has a mandate to improve clarity, to simplify and to create a level playing field across the EU member states and they will do this by invoking the Treaty of Lisbon and changing the rules in the current Directives into Regulations. The potential impact on the industry is in an increase in Plant Health and FRM Fees. With 'Full Cost Recovery' being one of the main drivers of the review, costs will inevitably be passed down to the plant user. Any further direct impact of the review is not yet known.

Working closely with the UK Forestry Commission and Plant Health offices, the UK's representatives in EFNA await issue of the draft wording of the Regulation hopefully in July, at which time more detail will be uncovered. The industry should be aware of the very hard work HTA and Confor have put in to date through EFNA and ENA, and although the full details of the changes aren't yet know, EFNA has already managed to get DG Sanco's agreement to keep the FRM legislation as a separate Annexe in the Regulation and not allow it to be mixed up with agricultural legislation.

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