This is the main conclusion of a risk assessment conducted by the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM) for the Norwegian Environment Agency and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority.

At the request of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the Norwegian Environment Agency, VKM has assessed the risks associated with importing soil and other growing media that accompany plants. VKM has also evaluated the effectiveness of various risk-reducing measures to prevent the introduction of plant pests.

Background

Plant pests such as fungi, bacteria, nematodes, and insects can be introduced to Norway via soil and other growing media accompanying imported plants from Europe. These pests can cause severe damage to Norwegian plant health. Despite current control measures, there is a high likelihood that harmful organisms can enter the country.

Risk

VKM has identified several plant pests linked to the import of soil and other growing media and assessed the risk of negative impacts on Norwegian plant health:

Plant Pests in Soil and Growing Media: Soil and growing media can contain harmful organisms that can establish and spread in Norway, potentially damaging agriculture and ecosystems.

High Import Volumes: The high volume of plant imports with soil and growing media increases the likelihood of pest introduction. Imports from countries like the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden pose a high risk, as most plants imported to Norway come from these countries.

Insufficient Current Regulations: Current regulations and control measures, largely based on visual inspection, are insufficient to detect all pests.

“When we purchase live plants, they grow in an accompanying growing medium. This root ball can contain pests like insects, fungi, nematodes, or bacteria. The plant may have lived in this medium for many years before arriving in Norway, potentially developing a small ecosystem within the pot. Thus, importing shrubs and trees likely brings unwanted organisms into the country. These organisms can cause severe damage to Norwegian plant health, affecting both agriculture and natural ecosystems,“ says Paal Krokene, a specialist in VKM’s plant health group who led the report’s work.

Risk-Reducing Measures

VKM has also been asked to identify several measures that can reduce the risk of unwanted introduction of plant pests:

• Stricter Import Requirements: Including the use of sterile or heat-treated growing media.
• Mandatory Border Control: Implementation of mandatory border controls and more extensive inspections of plants imported with soil and growing media.
• Import Ban: Ban on importing plants with soil and other growing media from areas known to pose a high risk of hosting plant pests.
• Advanced Detection Methods: Use of DNA analysis and other advanced methods to better detect pests in growing media, even in cases where plants show no visible signs of infection.

Conclusion

Importing plants with soil and other growing media poses a significant risk of introducing plant pests. Stricter control measures and regulations can help reduce the risk of introducing harmful organisms and protect Norwegian plant health.

VKM’s risk assessment was conducted at the request of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and the Norwegian Environment Agency. VKM provides independent scientific assessments on issues relevant to environmental and food safety. VKM does not offer advice or take a stance on how risks should be managed but can assess the consequences of various actions. Therefore, it is up to the commissioners to decide on the risk-reducing measures identified and evaluated by VKM.

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