The European Commission closed the infringement procedure against Italy for failing to adequately prevent further spread of Xylella fastidiosa in Apulia. The case had been opened in 2015 and led to a 2019 ruling of the EU Court of Justice, which confirmed that Rome had failed short to ensure the implementation of the eradication and containment measures decided at the EU level.
“The decision reassures us about the effectiveness of our action plan to combat the spread of Xylella“, said the president of Apulia Region Michele Emiliano. “We have worked to revitalise the landscape and support farmers, including by replanting olive cultivars resistant to the bacterium”, he added.
The resistant varieties were discovered thanks to Italian researchers at IPSP-CNR and their partners in EU-funded projects. BeXyl is building on these results to find and develop new varieties.
