During the last 5 years a new potato blackleg-causing bacterial species has emerged in northern Europe and in the wider European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation (EPPO) region. This disease has been characterised within the Dickeya genus and is known by the proposed name ''Dickeya solanf although other Dickeya spp. can also cause blackleg like symptoms. Dutch and Israeli potato production losses attributable to this pathogen have risen to become important economic threats to seed and ware producers in these countries, respectively. Scotland has limited imports of potatoes and took early surveillance measures to establish the absence of Dickeya spp. within Scottish potato production. Given the diseases absence from domestic seed production and the ongoing introduction route for the disease via imported seed for ware production, the Scottish Government initiated legislative change to control Dickeya spp. After a rapid period of policy development and consultation with the Scottish potato industry the new control measures were implemented.
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