3. POLICY AND LEGISLATION
3.1 The Scottish, UK and EU policy in relation to potato ring rot is to prevent its entry and eradicate any outbreaks.
3.2 The bacterium which causes potato ring rot is listed in Annex IAII of Directive 2000/29/ EC (the Plant Health Directive), implemented by Schedule 1B of the Plant Health (Scotland) Order 2005 ( SSI 2005/613) [1]. This means that it is a harmful organism which is known to occur in parts of the Community, but whose introduction and spread is prohibited.
3.3 Specific measures to control ring rot throughout the Community are set out in Directive 93/85/ EEC (the Ring Rot Directive). The annexes setting out approved testing procedures and the required actions to be taken in the event of a confirmed outbreak were replaced by Directive 2006/56/ EC. These measures are implemented by Schedule 16 of the Plant Health (Scotland) Order 2005, as amended by the Plant Health (Scotland) (Amendment) Order 2007 ( SSI 2007/415).
3.4 Member States also have freedom to take additional or stricter measures where necessary, within the constraints set out to prevent restriction of trade within the Community. The requirement for businesses to notify the Scottish Government of any non-Scottish seed potatoes introduced into Scotland falls into this category, and is intended to provide information that may help to prevent the introduction of quarantine diseases including potato ring rot. This requirement is implemented by Article 4 of the Plant Health (Scotland) Amendment Order 2008 ( SSI 2008/300). Notification is also required for ware potatoes originating in Poland, because of a high number of ring rot outbreaks in that country. This is implemented by the Potatoes Originating in Poland (Notification) (Scotland) Order 2004 ( SSI 2004/255) as amended in 2008 ( SSI 2008/299).
[1] The bacterium is referred to in the Directive and Order as Clavibacter michiganensis (Smith) Davis et al. subsp. sepedonicus (Spieckermann et Kotthoff) Davis et al