Measures to prevent the spread of the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa

EU Member States experts endorsed yesterday detailed emergency measures, proposed by the Commission, to prevent the introduction and spread within the EU of Xylella fastidiosa, a bacterium harmful to many crops. Recently found for the first time on EU territories, the strain of Xylella fastidiosa identified in Italy (province of Lecce, in the Apulia region) attacks mainly olive trees, which show leaf scorching, branch desiccation and quick decline symptoms, leading in the most severe cases to the death of the trees.