- The Council of Ministers, on Friday, gave the definitive go-ahead to the legislative decrees relating to the reorganization of the National Phytosanitary Service, of the seeds, fruit and vegetables and vine sectors.
The changes have a profound effect on the methods of intervention on phytosanitary emergencies through the development of specific emergency plans, the strengthening of controls on imports and internal production, the identification of a national laboratory network for diagnosis, the modification of the structure of the passport of plants, but, above all, through greater responsibility for professional operators with a view to total traceability.
"The approved package relaunches the role and efficiency of the Phytosanitary Service, both at national and regional level - states, in a note, the Undersecretary for Agricultural Policies, Giuseppe L'Abbate. - The goal is to make it even more efficient and rapid response capacity of the system to the increasingly frequent threats deriving from the introduction of harmful organisms on our territory, to which, unfortunately, both climate change and the globalization of trade expose us. In the joint work, carried out by Mipaaf, were accepted - precise L'Abbate - both requests for staff reinforcement in order to actually make feasible a more extensive work of prevention and defense of our agricultural production, is the deletion of the references to GMOs had raised some concerns.
indeed - explains Giuseppe L'Abbate - the ban on cultivation in Italy was still guaranteed by specific regulations but yes
Ultimately, it is preferred to refine the texts on the subject of seeds so as not to generate unnecessary controversies that have little to do with the heart of this important reform.
Now - concludes Undersecretary L'Abbate - our country will be able to make use of a more efficient and cutting-edge Phytosanitary Service, able to support and protect the national agricultural sector.
An excellent result achieved by the Government despite the delicate moment of crisis ". (ANSA).