European Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) Standards PM 7 Diagnostics

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EPPO Standards are internationally recognised guidelines developed by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) to promote effective plant health and pest control.

These standards are primarily aimed at National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) in EPPO member countries and seek to harmonise plant protection practices across the region. The standards focus on two main areas:

  1. phytosanitary measures, which are protocols designed to protect plant health by preventing the introduction and spread of pests and diseases.
  2. plant protection products, which encompass chemicals and other solutions used to manage pests and diseases.

These standards guide the implementation of diagnostic protocols, pest risk analysis, pest control measures, and more, ensuring consistency and scientific rigor in efforts to safeguard plant health globally.

PM 7 is an EPPO Standard dedicated to diagnostic protocols for regulated pests. It  provides internationally agreed-upon methods for detecting and identifying plant pests and pathogens, which are essential for protecting plant health and facilitating trade and pest management.

Each Standard in the PM 7 series in numbered in the following format:

Phytosanitary Measures (PM), followed by a number that refers to the part of the series, then the standard number, and the version.

For example, PM 7/4 (1) indicates that it is an EPPO Standard on Phytosanitary Measures (PM), part of series 7 (Diagnostic Protocols), Standard no. 4, first version.

There are over 150 Diagnostic Standards in the PM 7 series.

General standards include:

  • PM 7/76 (6) Use of EPPO Diagnostic Standards
  • PM 7/151 Considerations for the use of high throughput sequencing in plant health diagnostics
  • PM 7/130 Guidelines on the authorization of laboratories to perform diagnostic activities for regulated pests.

Diagnostic standards contain detailed information of the detection and identification of pests and pathogens such as:

  • PM 76/121(2) ‘Candidatus Liberibacter africanus’, ‘Candidatus Liberibacter americanus’ and ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’
  • PM 7/114 (2) Bactrocera zonata
  • PM 7/152 (1) Begomoviruses.

A complete list of Diagnostic Standards (Series PM7) is available, including direct links to the Standards in the EPPO Bulletin. The Standards are also available in the EPPO Global Database.