Plant Health Group

The Plant Health Group of the AIPH Ornamentals Production Committee is therefore active in plant health regulations and information exchange on practices to minimise the spread of pests and diseases (biosecurity).

AIPH is valued by the European Commission as a stakeholder for ornamentals and is invited to stakeholder meetings and consultations. This makes it possible for AIPH to support the position of international floriculture. For example, in the process of implementing a new plant health regime in the European Union, AIPH was consulted several times. AIPH works in cooperation with the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation (EPPO) www.eppo.int. Our involvement has resulted in cooperation in introducing a code of conduct on horticulture and invasive alien plants.

AIPH’s role in representing the grower and developing cooperation with key organisations assists the global ornamental horticulture industry through ensuring long term access to sustainable plant material and protecting trade by maintaining high standards of biosecurity.

Recent topics have included:

Certification schemes for the promotion of best environmental and social practice within the ornamental horticultural businesses

We seek to promote sustainability but avoid standards that unnecessarily harm competitiveness, profitability and viability. AIPH is also a member of the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative (FSI).

Plant health agreements and practice

We seek to minimise the spread of pests, diseases, and weeds, while also maintaining free international trade.

The Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species of wild flora and fauna (CITES), also known as the Washington Convention

It is crucial for ornamental producing countries that the production and trade of cultivated crops is not impeded by damaging regulations. Many cultivated varieties of ornamentals sit within the lists of CITES with plant varieties for which trading is prohibited. It is in the interest of ornamental producing countries, and our members within, that this list is reduced.