Legislative Decree No. 536 implementing Directive No. 91/683/EEC regarding protection measures against the introduction into the Member States of organisms harmful to plants and plant products.

The Decree concerns the powers of the following authorities: 1) the National Plant Protection Service; 2) the Central Plant Protection Service; 3) the Regional Plant Protection Services. The National Plant Protection Service shall: (a) implement the community legislation relevant to the import, export and transit of plants and plant products; (b) control and certificate the propagation material; (c) check on the phytosanitary conditions of agricultural, forestry and ornamental cultures; (d) propose measures against plant diseases; (e) collect and disseminate information relevant to the presence and spreading of harmful organisms. The duties of the Central Plant Protection Service concern, inter alia, (a) the definition of technical standards, (b) the relations with the plant protection services of the other member countries, (c) the dissemination at the national and international level of data concerning harmful organisms, (d) the up-dating of the national register of producers. The powers of the regional plant protection services cover (a) the enforcement of the EC directives, (b) the phytosanitary certification of plants and plant products, (c) the enforcement of measures against harmful organisms, (d) the registration of producers and importers, (e) the execution of periodical surveys on plants and plant products.