The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) is a plant-health treaty originally adopted in Rome in 1951 under the auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). It entered into force in 1952 and has been revised twice, most significantly in 1997 to align the Convention with the World Trade Organization's Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (the SPS Agreement). The 1997 revised text entered into force in 2005 after the required two-thirds of contracting parties accepted it.
The Convention's purpose is to secure "common and effective action to prevent the spread and introduction of pests of plants and plant products, and to promote appropriate measures for their control." It covers not only agricultural crops but also natural flora, plant products, storage places, packaging, conveyances, containers, soil, and any other organism or material capable of harbouring or spreading plant pests.
Key operational features include:
- National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPOs) designated by each contracting party to issue phytosanitary certificates and conduct inspections.
- International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) adopted by the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM), the IPPC's governing body. ISPM 15, for example, governs the treatment of wood packaging material in international trade.
- Regional Plant Protection Organizations (RPPOs) such as the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) that coordinate implementation at the regional level.
The IPPC Secretariat is hosted by the FAO in Rome. The treaty is one of the "three sisters" recognized by the SPS Agreement as the reference standard-setting body for plant health, alongside the Codex Alimentarius Commission (food safety) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE) for animal health. Contracting parties report pest outbreaks and exchange information through the International Phytosanitary Portal (IPP).
Example
In 2002 the IPPC adopted ISPM 15, requiring heat treatment or fumigation of wooden pallets in international trade to curb pests such as the Asian longhorned beetle.
Frequently asked questions
The IPPC Secretariat is hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, and its governing body is the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM).
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