Evaluation of new scientific information on Phyllosticta citricarpa in relation to the EFSA PLH Panel (2014) Scientific Opinion on the plant health risk to the EU

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Plant Health (PLH) was asked toassess two publications, authored by Magarey et al. and Martınez-Minaya et al. from 2015, with regardto a need to update the EFSA Scientific Opinion from 2014 on the risk ofPhyllosticta citricarpa(Guignardia citricarpa) for the EU territory. The EFSA PLH Panel was also requested to assess any otherrelevant scientific information published after thefinalisation of the EFSA Scientific Opinion. The fungusP. citricarpa(McAlpine) Van der Aa causes the citrus disease citrus black spot (CBS), and is regulated asquarantine organism in Council Directive 2000/29/EC. The Panel assessed the two publications in detailas well as all relevant publications published until 31 March 2016. A comparison with the EFSA PLHPanel (2014) was made, survey data on CBS from South Africa used in Magarey et al. (2015) wereevaluated, and the citrus production areas in the EU were characterised and compared with results fromMagarey et al. (2015). Uncertainty and model sensitivity were discussed. It was concluded that theevidence presented in Magarey et al. from 2015 does not require an updating of EFSA PLH Panel (2014).The conclusion in the Opinion that probability of CBS establishment in the EU is moderately likely is notaffected by the paper by Magarey et al. (2015) predicting establishment in some of the EU locations theyselected. The high level of uncertainty regarding the probability of establishment is also unchanged byMagarey et al. (2015). The Panel concluded that Martınez-Minaya et al. (2015) does not provide newevidence requiring an update to EFSA PLH Panel (2014), principally because it had already beenconcluded that global climate zones are based on factors and thresholds that are broad and notnecessarily representative of those that are critical for the pathogen and its host