Published: 27.03.2022.

Protected zone quarantine pests are pests found in the European Union (EU), but not in EU countries or areas within EU countries that are part of a protected zone, and  whose presence would have unacceptable economic, social or environmental impacts only in the protected zone.

Protected zone quarantine pests are listed in COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU)  2019/2072 (28 November 2019) ANNEX III. There are 31 pests on the list.

Latvia is a protected zone of fire blight (Erwinia amylovora) [ERWIAM]*.

Fire blight reduces fruit yield and is also very dangerous for the plants themselves. In the most susceptible host plants, the infection spreads so rapidly that they die soon after the first visible signs of infection are found.

Hosts of fire blight:

  • Amelanchier
  • Cotoneaster
  • Crataegus
  • Cydonia
  • Eriobotrya
  • Malus
  • Mespilus
  • Pyracantha
  • Pyrus
  • Sorbus
  • Chaenomeles

Fire blight buffer zones in Latvia

If you suspect the presence of fire blight, please report:

* The pest is identified by the 5-6 character code [ERWIAM]. This code is a mnemonic abbreviation of the scientific name of the organism, which remains unchanged and helps to find information on the organism in European Union legislation and in the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation (EPPO) database. For more information, see the EPPO database.