Imports of cut orchids in boxes to Austria without a valid plant health certificate are forbidden

(Vienna, 22.03.2005, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety) More and more tourists, above all when returning from Thailand, bring back boxes full of cut orchids as a souvenir. "Imports of cut flowers in boxes to Austria without a valid plant health certificate are forbidden under the 1995 Plant Health Act", says Elisabeth Jägersberger from the Official Austrian Plant Health Service of the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety. This means that cut flowers are seized by the airport customs authorities and destroyed at the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety.

Quarantaine pest on board

The ban on imports of certain cut flowers – mainly orchids – without a valid plant health certificate is due to the risk of plant pests being introduced with the flowers. In the case of Thailand, the main hazard is Thrips palmi, an insect only one to two millimetres in size, which causes substantial damage to greenhouse crops. Given the fact that Thrips palmi is very mobile and tends to become resistant to plant protection products, it has been classified as a quarantaine pest in the European Union. Therefore, its occurrance is notifiable and all conceivble measures must be taken to prevent it from spreading. "Offiicial imports of orchids are thoroughly checked for Thrips palmi", notes Elisabeth Jägersberger. Cut flowers in boxes without a valid plant health certificate, however, are seized and destroyed without exception.

Plant Protection Service as a source of information

Tourists are advised to familiarise themselves with the legal provisions currently in effect before setting out on a trip abroad. Information is available from the Official Austrian Plant Protection Service at the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety under the following telephone number (direct dialling from all over Austria without area code): 0505 55 extension 33301 or 33302.
For further information, also consult www.ages.at

Enquiries to be addressed to:

AGES - Österreichische Agentur für Gesundheit und Ernährungssicherheit GmbH

Corporate Communication:
DI Oskar Wawschinek
Spargelfeldstraße 191, A-1226 Wien
Tel: +43 (0) 505 55-25000
E-Mail: oskar.wawschinek@ages.at
www.ages.at

Technical Information:
Ing. Elisabeth Jägersberger
Tel: +43 (0) 505 55-33301
E-Mail: elisabeth.jaegersberger@ages.at
www.ages.at

Institute for Plant Health
Tel: +43 (0) 505 55-33326
E-Mail: pflanzengesundheit@ages.at
www.ages.at

Extra Navigation

• Als PDF speichern