IPPC Standards Committee advances draft standards and strengthens procedures at the November 2025 meeting

Rome, 28 November 2025. The International Plant Protection Convention’s (IPPC) Standards Committee (SC) concluded its November 2025 meeting at FAO Headquarters in Rome, successfully advancing major draft International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs), approving new specifications, and agreeing on clear pathways for tackling complex technical issues in plant health standard setting.

Held from 17 to 21 November, the meeting brought together SC members, stewards, technical panel representatives, and IPPC Secretariat staff. Through intensive discussions, the Committee reviewed draft ISPMs, evaluated consultation feedback, and took key decisions to guide the development, maintenance, and improvement of international phytosanitary standards. Moreover, it also looked ahead on discussion on “rethinking ISPMs” and the SC and the Standard Setting Unit secretariat's work plan for 2026.

Enrico Perotti, IPPC Secretary, expressed appreciation for the SC’s collaborative efforts, remarking that “The Standards Committee is at the heart of the IPPC’s work, guiding standards from initial proposal through to adoption. The achievements of this week demonstrate the SC’s strong technical leadership and the dedication of all those involved in advancing our collective mission to safeguard global plant biosecurity and facilitate safe trade.”

Two draft ISPMs recommended to CPM-20 for adoption

• Draft revision of ISPM 26 (Pest-free areas for tephritid fruit flies)

The SC finalized the draft revision of ISPM 26 and recommended it to CPM-20 (2026) for adoption. The revised standard incorporates updated technical guidance and reflects extensive work by expert groups. The SC also requested that the SC-7 compare the plain language version with the CPM submission to strengthen future application of plain-language principles.

• Draft annex to ISPM 23: Field inspection (2021-018)

The SC finalized revisions to the Field Inspection annex and recommended it to CPM-20 (2026). The annex provides comprehensive requirements for field inspection as a phytosanitary measure, including scope, objectives, methods, and NPPO responsibilities. The annex specifies that field inspection may be used alone or as part of a systems approach and clearly distinguishes field inspection from consignment inspection.

The Committee agreed that ISPM 5 will not include a definition of “field inspection”; instead, the annex will contain the full descriptive requirements.

Two specifications approved for use

The Committee approved two important specifications that will guide the development of future international standards:

• Specification 78 – Annex Remote audits to ISPM 47: This specification supports NPPOs in applying modern audit modalities, including hybrid and fully remote methods, to enhance efficiency and maintain the integrity of phytosanitary verification.
• Specification 79 – Revision of ISPM 12 (Phytosanitary certificates): This specification sets the goal of modernizing ISPM 12 by updating and clarifying requirements for paper and electronic phytosanitary certificates, strengthening the consistency and integrity of certification practices, and ensuring the standard reflects current NPPO operational realities.

Commodity standards: clarifying pests and measures

The SC reviewed a range of issues arising from the first consultation on draft annexes to ISPM 46, the specific commodity standards, reaffirming the mandate of the Technical Panel on Commodity Standards (TPCS) under ISPM 46 and Specification TP6. The Committee acknowledged that the TPCS may not include pests proposed when available evidence does not demonstrate that the commodity is a pathway for those pests, also highlighting that the list of pests and phytosanitary measures in these standards are not exhaustive. It also recognized the need to clarify how changes to pests and measures resulting from second-consultation comments should be addressed in the Standard Setting Procedure.

The SC thanked Asia-Pacific Plant Protection Commission (APPPC), Comité de Sanidad Vegetal del Cono Sur (COSAVE), and ICA-Colombia for their contributions and agreed that the TPCS will prepare draft criteria for the exclusion of pests and measures for review in May 2026.

Clarifying pest absence terminology and strengthening ISPM coherence

The SC agreed to add a revision of the ISPM 5 definition of “pest free area” to the List of Topics, to recommend to CPM-20 that a focused revision of ISPM 8 on pest-absence descriptions be added to the work programme, and to invite the TPCS to propose solutions for addressing pest-absence requirements in commodity standards for review at the SC meeting in May 2026.

Systems Approaches for seeds: agreed way forward

The SC agreed on a clear way forward for advancing the draft annex to ISPM 38 on systems approaches for seeds. This includes strengthened engagement with the International Seed Federation during the December 2025 Systems Approach workshop in Chile, consultations between SC members and their national seed associations, and a dedicated agenda item at the May 2026 SC meeting to review feedback and inform next steps.

Summarizing the outcomes of the week, the SC Chairperson Sophie Peterson said “This meeting was critical not only for ensuring progress of topics through the standard setting pipeline, but for strategically positioning the IPPC for the future. By approving key specifications like the Annex on Remote Audits and the Revision of ISPM 12, the SC is actively working to ensure our standards toolkit is contemporary and fit-for-purpose. We are ensuring that the global phytosanitary framework remains efficient, consistent, and relevant to NPPOs operating in the 21st century.”