The Government has   announced plans to deal the plant wellness terror posed by Xylella , a fundamental footprint for set works wellness legislation tailor-make to risk in Great Britain .

A young Statutory Instrument will come into force next month to bring out stricter measuring rod against Xylella fastidiosa ( “ Xylella ” ) - a bacterium which causes disease in a wide compass of woody commercially grown plants such as pipeline , citrus , olive and several species of broadleaf tree diagram widely get in the Great Britain , as well as many shrubs and herbaceous plant .

The new variety have been identified as priorities for better our plant biosecurity in reply to know threats , protect commercial enterprise , society and the environment in the short full term , as well as in the future .

young necessity will apply to those countries where Xylella is love to be present and will let in :

The existing requirements for high - risk plants from land where Xylella is not known to occur will be keep on , which admit annual official inspection , with sampling and examination of the plants touch on .

Biosecurity minister Lord Gardiner of Kimble said:“We take the nation ’s biosecurity very seriously . That is why we are increase restriction and requisite for the significance of mellow - risk Xylella host plants to reduce the hazard that Xylella is introduced into Great Britain . These touchstone will raise the stage of protection against this devastating disease and are necessary to protect our country . "

Chief Plant Health Officer Nicola Spence said:“Xylella is not presently in Great Britain and it is all important that all of us with an stake in a healthy , thriving plant life and gardening industry do all we can to keep it that way and protect our environs and businesses . To keep our country protected , it is full of life that all plant importer and trader receive these Modern criterion and bear on to make heedful conclusion on source industrial plant , particularly those from countries where Xylella is present . "

Xylella is continuing to spread in Europe with irruption of the disease occurring in Italy , France , Spain , Germany and Portugal .

The pathogen is not love to be present in Great Britain , but the possibility remains of Xylella arriving on high - risk hosts , such as olive , and those industrial plant specie commonly associated with irruption in the EU . The long response time period of Xylella means that , without additional requirements , it could be carried into non - septic country via imports of plant life , long before the contagion is key out .

unexampled lawmaking is due to come into force on 27 December 2024.A copy of the regulations is available here .