Limits of self-regulation in international phytosanitary policy

In accordance with international agreements, phytosanitary regulations from standard setting to conformity assessment and monitoring have been assigned a public task which is carried out by government authorities. The private sector needs to comply with these phytosanitary requirements, and it is usually the private sector that is actively involved in handling phytosanitary risk within the chain. This report provides insights into possible options to give more responsibilities to the private sector and how such possibilities could be accommodated in the existing International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and the EU regulations for plant health.