Dr. Ria Pechlivani, project coordinator of the international F2F project EmergeNOW, was invited to the EU meeting of the “Heads of Plant Health Services”, which took place in Ayia Napa, Cyprus, on 13 May 2026, with the participation of representatives from the 27 EU Member States, as well as the relevant European Commission authorities.
She was invited to provide information on the use of emerging technologies that can be integrated into customs and import control points for the early detection of two high-priority EU quarantine pests affecting citrus crops, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2022/632 and Regulation (EU) 2019/1702.
During the meeting, discussions focused on strengthening authorized Border Control Posts by enhancing phytosanitary inspections through the adoption of best practices and emerging technologies, assessing phytosanitary risks, and coordinating preventive and emergency response actions against new harmful organisms and outbreaks within the European Union.
Dr. Ria Pechlivani reaffirmed her commitment to strengthening collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Cyprus within the framework of EmergeNOW by providing cutting-edge digital, robotic, and biomolecular systems for the early detection of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter’ species and its vector, the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP/D. citri), which, according to EFSA, entered the EU through the Limassol area in 2023 and can cause the devastating citrus disease Huanglongbing (HLB).