De Russische Plantenziektenkundige Dienst (Rosselkhoznadzor) heeft vandaag onderstaand bericht gepubliceerd . Het lijkt erop dat er een importstop voor Nederlandse snijbloemen ingesteld zal worden. Dit is echter nog niet officieel bevestigd. Via het ministerie van Economische Zaken heeft Anthos vernomen dat er tot op heden nog geen officiële correspondentie heeft plaats gevonden tussen Rosselkhoznadzor en de Europese Commissie.
Zoals uit onderstaande bericht valt op te maken is de aanleiding voor het instellen van de importstop het grote aantal afkeuringen, op o.a. Frankliniella occidentalis, die voor het overgrote deel te relateren zijn aan snijbloemen van Nederlandse herkomst.

Er zijn geen signalen dat voor bloembollen en vaste planten ook een importstop ingesteld zal worden.

Measures Taken to Prevent Import of Infested Dutch Flowers into Russia
Regular exports of infested cut flower consignments from the European Union to Russia are indicative of a serious problem in the system ensuring phytosanitary safety of plant products exported from the European countries. As it is known the basis for import of cut flowers and other plant products to Russia is the compliance with Russian and international phytosanitary requirements guaranteed by the national competent authority. But during the last three months in the course of phytosanitary control of cut flowers imported to Russia from the EU countries 324 consignments infested with the quarantine pests like western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis Perg), white rust disease of chrysanthemum (Puccinia horiana Henn.), silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) and leafminer (Liriomyza trifolii Burg) were detected. The said pests were found in 183 consignments of flowers grown in the Netherlands; that is 58% of all cases. The most common found pest was western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis Perg); it was detected in 156 cases.

The situation is complicated by the fact that from January 1, 2007 the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Safety of the Netherlands acknowledged the absence of thrips-free growing sites and ceased issuing phytosanitary certificates for cut flowers. As a result all Dutch flowers are imported to Russia through the territories of other EU countries like the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary and Poland. Every consignment is accompanied with phytosanitary certificates of the said countries which confirm the full compliance of products with Russian and EEC requirements and standards.

Taking into account the seriousness of the current situation and in order to maintain the appropriate phytosanitary safety level in Russia and protect its territory from quarantine pest introduction and spread, according to the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures and International Plant Protection Convention and with the aim to prevent introduction of temporary restrictions on import of cut flowers from the whole EU the Rosselkhoznadzor deems it necessary to hold urgent technical consultations with the EU competent authorities on this issue. In the meantime the Rosselkhoznadzor proposes to the EU national plant protection organizations to suspend certification of Dutch cut flowers for import to Russia.