From 1 January 2025, EU emergency measures will expire and ToBRFV will become a Regulated Non-Quarantine Pest (RNQP), as already expected this autumn. Requirements for the release of seeds and young plants will remain in force.
End of notification and eradication requirements
The eradication obligation for Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus will end. This means that farms where ToBRFV has been identified will no longer be under surveillance. There is no longer a duty to share plans of action and there are no longer any requirements for the disposal of infected material. Orders imposed will automatically expire on 1 January 2025. It will be up to the owner or user of an infected site to adopt an approach to control this virus. It is also no longer necessary to report a ToBRFV suspicion to the authorities.
The NVWA kept a scoreboard showing the number of infections starting from the outbreak in the Netherlands in 2019. At the last update, dated 1 March 2024, the counter stood at 54 infected greenhouse locations, in 18 municipalities.
Requirements for putting starting material into circulation
Requirements will still apply after 1 January 2025 for the marketing of basic material of tomato and non-resistant pepper varieties. Seed lots may only be marketed and receive a plant passport within the European Union (EU) if they come from a country free of ToBRFV, or if the seed has been tested and found free of this virus. Inspection services monitor this. Testing takes place on an officially taken sample, so taking the sample for testing seeds must be done by an inspection service or by a company with NAL/LEEZ or BOOT accreditation. Young vegetable plants must come from seeds meeting the above conditions.
Pepper varieties are exempt from the above requirements if it has been made plausible that they are rugose-resistant to ToBRFV. An exception also applies to material that is not marketed, such as seeds for research or breeding purposes.
Import controls
The requirements also apply to the import of seeds from countries outside the EU (third countries). However, the required caption on the phytosanitary certificate is removed. Third countries exporting to the EU must ensure that they meet all requirements, including the RNQP requirements. If a phytosanitary certificate shows that the seed lot has been adequately tested for ToBRFV in a third country, it can be used for re-export.
For seed imports, samples will continue to be looked at, and 20% of the consignments after 1 January will be tested. For shipments with origin Israel, this will be 50%, and for shipments with origin China 100%. If ToBRFV is found, these countries will be notified.
Captured lots
A number of seed lots have been reported to the NVWA as suspicious, but have not yet been officially tested. However, these parties have already been established. From 1 January 2025, these seed lots may be put back on the market. It is also possible to use this seed for research or breeding purposes. The marketing of this seed is subject to one condition: the lots are kept separate from contaminated seed lots. As with new seed lots, an official sampling or sampling under the supervision of the Inspection Service also applies and the test has produced a negative result.
Seed that has tested positive in an official test before or after 1 January 2025 may not be marketed, or offered for (re-)export, under any circumstances. However, it is possible to use these lots for breeding or research.
Owners of seed lots that already tested positive for ToBRFV in an official test before 1 January 2025 will be informed by the NVWA and Naktuinbouw.