Scientific Opinion on the risk to plant health posed by Dothistroma septosporum (Dorog.) M. Morelet (Mycosphaerella pini E. Rostrup, syn. Scirrhia pini) and Dothistroma pini Hulbary to the EU territory with the identification and evaluation of risk reduction options

The Panel on Plant Health conducted a pest risk assessment for Scirrhia pini for the European Union (EU) territory, identified risk management options and evaluated their effectiveness. The risk assessment was conducted taking into account current EU legislation. The Panel also provided an opinion on the effectiveness of the present EU requirements against this organism listed in Council Directive 2000/29/EC. Considering that there has been taxonomic confusion over the pest mentioned in the EU plant health legislation, the assessment was carried out for Dothistroma septosporum (the anamorph of S. pini, the latter renamed to Mycosphaerella pini) and Dothistroma pini (teleomorph unknown), both of which cause Dothistroma needle blight. Three major pathways for entry were identified: host plants intended for planting/grafting (excluding fruit and seeds), natural means (wind, rain, wind-driven rain, etc.), and host plants and plant parts with foliage not intended for planting (e.g., fresh branches, cut Christmas trees, etc.); probability of entry was considered very likely, likely and unlikely, respectively, with high uncertainty. The establishment and further spread were both considered very likely. The current consequences were considered major and they include loss of wood volume, tree mortality, and losses in terms of landscape value, amenity value, recreational uses and tourism. The Panel concluded that introduction and spread of the two pests are not fully prevented by Council Directive 2000/29/EC, mainly because of the possibility to import and trade host plant material other than Pinus plants for planting. In order to prevent the potentially serious impacts in those parts of the risk assessment area where the pathogens are currently not known to occur, additional risk reduction options have been identified, in the form of simultaneous implementation of measures targeted at reducing the movement of infected host plants and the further spread of the pests by natural means.