Notification of pests. International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures

The main purpose of a pest alert is to report an immediate or potential hazard. Immediate or potential hazards usually arise from the presence, foci or spread of a pest that is a quarantine pest for the country in which it is detected, or for neighboring countries and trading partner countries. The provision of timely and reliable reports on pests is proof of effective surveillance and alert systems in countries.
Pest alerts allow countries to update their phytosanitary requirements and actions as necessary to take into account all changes in phytosanitary risk. It provides current and historical information useful for the functioning of phytosanitary systems. Accurate information on the status of pests facilitates the technical justification of the measures applied and minimizes unjustified interference with trade. Every country needs reports of pests for these purposes and can only obtain them by cooperating with other countries. Phytosanitary actions taken by importing countries based on reports of pests should be proportionate to the risk and technically sound.