Action Plan for the prevention of potential crisis situations in the field of plant health in Azerbaijan.

This Action Plan addresses the recent shifts in climate conditions and the substantial growth in international trade turnover that have significantly increased the risk of harmful organisms migrating to new areas and proliferating. The objective of this plan is to ensure that relevant national agencies collaborate effectively to implement appropriate control measures. This will be achieved through the early detection of the pest, with the aim of preventing or mitigating its spread and minimizing the resulting damage. This Plan has been prepared in line with the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) standard PM 9/10(1) and the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) document on Emergency Preparedness: A guide for developing contingency plans for outbreaks of quarantine pests.
The purposes of this Action Plan are: (i) to mitigate potential crop losses resulting from harmful organisms, (ii) to prevent the movement and widespread dissemination of quarantined and highly dangerous organisms, (iii) to ensure the swift resolution of potential crisis situations. This Action Plan highlights the need to establish robust systems for the timely detection of hazardous plant diseases and pests in Azerbaijan. Comprehensive plans will be developed for certain harmful organisms and groups with high potential for introduction, prior to their migration to new areas or large-scale proliferation. Such plant health crisis management planning provides for enabling informed decision-making, ensuring the prompt and effective execution of eradication programs, and providing additional time for thorough evaluation and research.
This Plan provides a clear definition of the roles and responsibilities of institutions and organizations implementing activities in the field of plant health. In the crisis preparedness and planning phase, The Food Safety Agency shall be responsible for establishing a Crisis Management Center consisting of representatives of relevant agencies and Mobile Operational Teams for crisis management. A Monitoring Plan will be developed and implemented for early detection of quarantined and particular pests. The Agency shall develop a Crisis Communication Plan to strengthen cooperation between the relevant institutions and organizations and notify them about the plant health emergency. The Agency shall increase the skills of specialists who will participate in crisis management.
To respond quickly and effectively to the spread of pests that could have a major economic and/or environmental impact, crisis management measures are listed in Annex 1. Delimitation observations will be conducted to determine the boundaries of areas infected with pests. Appropriate equipment and pesticides will be purchased, if necessary, in coordination with relevant authorities to combat pests. Scientific research and risk assessments will be conducted on pests causing risks. The control over the spread of pests causing risks, including the import and export process of host plants, will be strengthened. An electronic reporting platform and a "Hotline" will be created to combat pests, as well as to implement monitoring and coordination measures. Awareness-raising programs on pests causing crises will be carried out. Traditional or alternative control measures will be implemented against pests. Where a plant health crisis occurs, the effectiveness of the implemented control measures will be evaluated. Periodic reports and proposals on the implemented measures will be prepared and submitted, as appropriate.