Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to monitor the spread of emerald ash borer across Europe; and what steps she plans to take to prevent its spread into the UK.

The UK has robust measures in place to prevent the introduction of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), which is not present in the UK and has never been intercepted here. Imports of ash trees from countries where EAB occurs are prohibited, while imports of ash wood and bark are subject to strict controls.

Defra monitors EAB across Europe through international surveillance, research and information sharing activities, including the International Plant Sentinel Network, EPPO (European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization), and the FraxNet project. Defra also supports research to strengthen surveillance, improve risk assessment, and inform contingency planning.