Key facts
Helped by globalisation and climate change, pests such as the Japanese beetle have entered Switzerland and are spreading. Combating them and the damage they cause can carry huge costs, sometimes in the millions of Swiss francs. Through prevention measures such import controls or area monitoring, but also through the immediate and consistent implementation of control measures, major damage has so far been averted in Switzerland.
The Japanese beetle is one of around 400 plant pests that are classified as quarantine organisms in Switzerland. They are subject to a reporting and control requirement. There are also other invasive alien species, some of which have the potential to cause serious damage. Current examples are the Asian hornet or the quagga mussel.
In 2023, the Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) spent CHF 1.7 million to offset the costs to cantons and third parties of control and prevention measures in agriculture and horticulture. By 2024, this figure had already increased to CHF 3.3 million. Expenditure by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) to combat particularly harmful organisms of relevance for forests, under the programme agreements with the cantons on the prevention and remediation of forest damage, is estimated at less than CHF 1 million for 2022.
The aim of this first audit by the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) on this subject was to assess whether the current system to combat particularly harmful organisms is appropriate for tackling the impending problems efficiently and in a targeted way, and whether there are synergies with the combating of invasive alien species in general. For this audit, the SFAO focused on five particularly harmful organisms, including the Japanese beetle and the tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV). Overall, the SFAO deems the current measures to combat plant diseases and pests as appropriate. However, there needs to be a bundling of available resources and information. The current fees for checking plant passports do not cover costs and must be raised accordingly.
