The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) held the eighth webinar on Group 5 wood-boring beetles, focusing on Agrilus planipennis (emerald ash borer), on 17 July 2026. The event provided an overview of the pest's characteristics and included a practical simulation using the RiPEST tool, as part of a series of 20 webinars on EU priority pests aimed at improving plant health crisis preparedness. The recording is available on EFSA's YouTube channel and the EU Academy.
The webinar is the latest in a round of 20 training sessions promoted by EFSA in collaboration with academic experts under a framework contract for technical and scientific support to EFSA's training courses on plant pest surveillance. Previous webinars in the series covered other priority pests, including long-horned beetles (Anoplophora chinensis and A. glabripennis) and fruit flies (Bactrocera dorsalis). The series is designed to enhance the capacity of EU member states to detect and respond to high-risk plant pests.
The emerald ash borer is a wood-boring beetle native to Asia that has caused extensive damage to ash trees in North America and parts of Europe. It is listed as an EU priority pest, requiring member states to conduct annual surveys and implement contingency plans. The webinar aimed to equip plant health officials and surveillance experts with practical knowledge for early detection and monitoring.
The training series supports EFSA's broader mandate to strengthen plant health crisis preparedness across the EU. By providing hands-on simulation exercises, EFSA seeks to improve the practical skills of national plant protection organizations. The next webinars in the series will cover additional priority pests, continuing through the remainder of 2026.