Pest categorisation of Colletotrichum fructicola

Abstract The EFSA Plant Health Panel performed a pest categorisation of Colletotrichum fructicola Prihast., a well‐defined polyphagous fungus of the C. gloeosporioides complex which has been reported from all the five continents to cause anthracnose, bitter rot and leaf spotting diseases on over 90 cultivated and non‐cultivated woody or herbaceous plant species. The pathogen is not included in EU Commission Implementing Regulation 2019/2072. Because of the very wide host range, this pest categorisation focused on Camellia sinensis, Citrus sinensis, C. reticulata, Fragaria × ananassa, Malus domestica, M. pumila, Persea americana, Prunus persica, Pyrus pyrifolia and P. bretschneideri for which there was robust evidence that C. fructicola was formally identified by morphology and multilocus gene sequencing analysis. Host plants for planting and fresh fruits are the main pathways for the entry of the pathogen into the EU. There are no reports of interceptions of C. fructicola in the EU. The pathogen has been reported from Italy and France. The host availability and climate suitability factors occurring in some parts of the EU are favourable for the establishment of the pathogen. Economic impact on the production of the main hosts is expected if establishment occurs. Phytosanitary measures are available to prevent the re‐introduction of the pathogen into the EU. Although the pathogen is present in the EU, there is a high uncertainty on its actual distribution in the territory because of the re‐evaluation of Colletotrichum taxonomy and the lack of systematic surveys. Therefore, the Panel cannot conclude with certainty on whether C. fructicola satisfies the criterium of being present but not widely distributed in the EU to be regarded as a potential Union quarantine pest unless systematic surveys for C. fructicola are conducted and Colletotrichum isolates from the EU in culture collections are re‐evaluated.