PM 3/96 (1) Official controls of passenger luggage at points of entry

Abstract

Specific scope: This Standard provides recommendations to National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) on the process for passenger luggage checks, including risk profiling, at airport points of entry. The Standard also provides guidance on inspection of plants or plant products and other regulated articles found in passenger luggage. Some elements of this Standard may also be applicable to passengers using other forms of travel (e.g. ship, train or by road). The Standard also provides guidance on cooperation with relevant authorities such as customs and provides general guidance to NPPOs on awareness raising for passengers.

Specific Approval: This Standard was first approved in 2024–09.

International passenger luggage can contain plants or plant products (e.g. cuttings, fruit, vegetables, cut flowers, and wood products) and other regulated articles (e.g. soil) (hereafter referred to as plants or plant products unless otherwise stated) that can be infested with pests. Such items may be intended for planting, private consumption (either during travel or upon entry), as souvenirs, or for sale in the country of destination. Each year, for air travel alone, billions of passengers travel on flights world-wide. In 2019, there were approximately 38.3 million flights transporting 4.5 billion passengers worldwide (ICAO, 2019). Although most passengers are unlikely to carry prohibited plants or plant products, surveys globally highlight sufficient interceptions to warrant a control system. In New Zealand for example, a survey of 6816 passengers luggage entering the country identified 3% were carrying fresh or dried plant products. In the United States of America, between 1984 and 2000, over 290 000 specimens of alien insects were intercepted from passenger luggage at international airports (Liebhold et al., 2006). From 2016 to 2021, large quantities of plant products were found in the luggage of passengers travelling from outside the EU to Italy. Several non-native pests were recorded mainly from fruits and vegetables including some quarantine pests (Pace et al., 2022). EPPO Pest Risk Analysis frequently identifies international passengers and their luggage as a potential pathway for the entry of pests into the EPPO region (for example fruit flies, beetles and caterpillars of Lepidoptera [EPPO, 2010, 2020a, 2020b]).

Even if the amount of regulated plants or plant products in passenger luggage is mostly limited to small quantities, there is a chance that small items may be infested with pests constituting a risk in the country of destination. Plants or plant products may not only be purchased directly from nurseries or orchards, but could also originate from local markets or traders, which may be supplied with products grown in private gardens or collected in the natural environment. These items can pose a pest risk as they are not usually treated to avoid infestations with pests, and no phytosanitary inspections for the purpose of export to another country have been carried out in the country of origin.

In some cases, plants or plant products are easily detected by official personnel at the points of entry, for example cut orchids that have traditionally been handed to passengers at certain airports when leaving tropical countries. However, other plant products which are intended as souvenirs, are usually stored in passengers' luggage and not detectable without actively opening luggage for checks.

Many international passengers lack awareness of the pest risk of carrying plants or plant products, and that there are specific restrictions and requirements in place in most countries. In addition, it should be considered, that some people may consciously use private luggage to bring regulated plants or plant products into a country for commercial purposes. Relatively small quantities of seed can already constitute a significant commercial value and may be an incentive for smuggling.

Passenger luggage checks (stopping passengers and searching their luggage) of private persons can be subject to legal restrictions For the majority of EPPO countries, it is the customs authorities that are responsible and are authorized to carry out official checks of passengers' luggage at points of entry.

Travellers often have little or no awareness of specific regulations concerning the transportation of plants or plant products for personal use or consumption. Therefore, awareness raising campaigns are important tools that can act to inform international travellers of plant health regulations. These campaigns can disseminate key information in a number of different formats (e.g. leaflets, posters, short videos, interactive stands at points of entry) with the aim of raising awareness and minimizing the phytosanitary risk (see Appendix 1 for examples).

Awareness raising for air passengers [international travellers] should be considered. Passengers should be made aware of the risks and restrictions of bringing plants or plant products into another country or their home country.

It can be useful to provide information at the time of travel planning. The NPPO may inform national and international travel agencies and airlines operating in their countries about national and international plant health regulations. Travel agencies and airlines should be encouraged to inform their clients well in advance of, or during, the journey. Awareness raising before embarking on international travel can be useful.

To motivate passengers to comply with the regulations, it is important that they are aware of the pest risk that is involved in the uncontrolled international transport of plants or plant products. This is also the message of awareness posters and leaflets produced by EPPO in respective national languages which can be displayed by NPPOs at points of entry to raise the awareness of passengers regarding plant health.

Other important information that should be provided may include a list of prohibited goods, requirements of a phytosanitary certificate and phytosanitary inspection for certain plants or plant products (if required by a country1), and any concessions to the rules. At the same time the message should be clear and understandable for a broad public.

The NPPO may establish contacts with NPPOs in other countries to draw the attention to the plant health regulations of their (own) country or to raise awareness of particular risks.

The EPPO Standard PM 3/86 Raising public awareness of quarantine and emerging pests (EPPO, 2019a) provides NPPOs with general guidance on raising awareness and presents a number of different examples of information dissemination and publicity activities. The EPPO ‘Don't risk it!’ posters (https://www.eppo.int/RESOURCES/eppo_publications/don_t_risk_it) have been placed at points of entry (and exit) throughout the EPPO region. Translation of awareness raising materials to appropriate languages for specific travel routes is expected to improve awareness raising results.

In the European Union, Member States harmonize and display information posters about the prohibition of regulated material without a phytosanitary certificate at points of entry, The European Union also advises (but not obligatory) that similar posters are displayed at points of departure.

Appendix 1 provides further information on awareness raising material for passengers.

Some products are more typical for passengers to bring in their luggage than others. Such ‘typical’ products include fruits and vegetables, cut flowers or seeds. Plants intended for planting, e.g. cuttings, might also be found in passenger luggage, as well as wooden ornamental products.

For each of the main products of concern, this Standard provides general information and includes examples of groups of pests often at levels higher than the species (e.g. Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, etc.). The phytosanitary procedures described in the Standard are primarily aimed at preventing the introduction of EPPO A1 and A2 pests into the EPPO region through passenger luggage at points of entry.

Details on EPPO A1 and A2 pests can be found in the EPPO Global Database (2023).

The ISPM 5 Glossary of phytosanitary terms (IPPC, 2024) defines inspection as ‘Official visual examination of plants, plant products or other regulated articles to determine if pests are present or to verify conformity with phytosanitary requirements’.

Typical elements of international and regional Standards on phytosanitary inspections (for example ISPM 20 (IPPC, 2017), ISPM 23 (IPPC, 2016a), ISPM 31 (IPPC, 2016b) and EPPO PM 3/72(2) (EPPO, 2008)) do not specify passenger controls but the appropriate basic principles should still be observed.

Inspectors and other border staff responsible for luggage controls should have enough expertise for inspections (see chapter 3.3).

If the facilities and equipment allow, each bag examined should be carefully emptied in such a way that all contents can be checked, for example on a specific inspection table. The inspection should be carried out in such a way that no relevant items are overlooked.

Emptying of the bag should be conducted in a methodical manner where items at the top of the bag are (re)moved first followed by items below. If a plant or a product of concern is found, the item(s) should be carefully isolated from the bag and the other contents.

If mobile insects are found during the investigation of the luggage, it is important to safely isolate the relevant products and insects to avoid specimens from escaping. Therefore, plastic bags and containers for the purpose of sampling should be available when opening the luggage.

For the identification of symptoms or possible pests, or to detect asymptomatic infestation, a sample should be taken and sent to the official laboratory to confirm the identity of the pest.

If living insects are found, they may be preserved in sealed tubes (with food material) or in an alcoholic solution. Plants or plant products (e.g. fruit and vegetables) with symptoms can be placed in closed containers or sealed bags along with absorbent components to prevent rotting and kept at a low temperature where relevant before being sent to the diagnostic laboratory. If possible, the whole inspected item (plant or fruit, etc.) should be sent to the laboratory.

Samples should be sent to the laboratory as soon as possible to avoid further deterioration of the plant material.