Head of Unit: Jean-Emmanuel Gerbault

Deputy Head of Unit: Jean-Philippe Renvoisé

6 rue Aimé Rudel - Marmilhat - 63370 LEMPDES

Email: Clermont.lsv@anses.fr

The Quarantine unit is located on the Clermont-Ferrand site. In addition to participating in all of the Plant Health Laboratory's activities, it is responsible for post-entry plant quarantine in France.

This is because the Clermont-Ferrand site hosts the post-entry plant quarantine station, which enables plants banned in Europe to be introduced under waivers from the general European plant health regulations. Post-entry plant quarantine covers plants primarily intended for scientific research or the creation of cultivars, mainly fruit trees (including citrus), vines and potatoes.

The unit has NS1-, NS2- and NS3-level containment facilities. It is therefore able to safely perform a wide array of studies and analyses of introduced plant material. Plants are stored until proof of compliance with EU and national requirements is obtained.

Reference activities

The unit is also the National Reference Laboratory (NRL), holding mandates for plum pox virus (PPV, responsible for sharka disease) and for citrus and potato viruses.

Expert appraisal activities

The Quarantine unit carries out expert appraisals in its fields of competence: quarantine pests covered by its reference mandates, quarantine schemes, containment for plant health, and pest detection methods developed as part of its missions. 

Research activities

The unit is involved in national and international research projects that benefit from its containment facilities and expertise. 

The main themes are the improvement of detection techniques for pests sought in quarantine processes, particularly using high-throughput sequencing. It also carries out projects related to its reference mandates.