Evaluation of Critical Issues and Identification of Research and Investments Needs in the Field of Crop Biosecurity in Europe

Abstract

Current European capabilities to detect and respond to agroterrorism are modest with a lack of coordination. The main objectives of research networks set up in the frame of FP6 of the European Union addressing issues related to bio-weapons, agro-terrorism and biosecurity are presented. These programmes call help European Union building the capability to increase preparedness investments in infrastructures, development of national diagnostic laboratories and their networking, and investments in the basic and applied research are needed also to support the policies. Groups of researchers having expertise and interest in crop and food biosecurity should be identified and the networks already existing should be integrated in order to build, at the European level, a solid network capable to deal with the basic and applied aspects of research as well as with communication and training.