A new phytosanitary control document guarantees the protection of agricultural crops from pests

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Desislava Taneva approved Ordinance No. 1, which will enter into force after its publication in the State Gazette. This regulatory document synchronizes Bulgarian legislation with 3 European Directives on plant protection and the control of quarantine pests and repeals the previously effective Ordinance No. 1 of 1998 on phytosanitary control.

Ordinance number 8, which also regulates the new concept of a "plant passport," is a regulatory document issued on the basis of the Plant Protection Law adopted at the end of last year. The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) is the official body that will control phytosanitary control on the territory of Bulgaria. The ordinance legitimizes the activities of plant protection inspectors and defines their direct tasks within the agency. It also regulates the phytosanitary measures that come into effect in cases of danger or when the presence of quarantine pests is established, and the conditions for compensation of affected persons when compulsory measures such as destruction have been imposed.

The document will improve the protection of agricultural crops from pests and is fully written in accordance with the International Plant Protection Convention and the regulatory acts of the European Union.

Source: MAF