The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs has made a Statutory Rule entitled "The Plant Health (Amendment No. 2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2019", (S.R. 2019 No. 151), which came into operation on 22 July 2019.

The Statutory Rule amends the Plant Health Order (Northern Ireland) 2018 (S.R. 2018 No. 184) which contains measures to prevent the introduction and spread of harmful plant pests and diseases. The Oak Processionary Moth (OPM) is established across many parts of Europe and is regulated in Directive 2000/29/EC (the EU Plant Health Directive) as a protected zone pest, with most of the UK (including Northern Ireland) having this status. The Statutory Rule strengthens current measures to protect against the introduction of OPM into Northern Ireland following the finding of OPM caterpillars on oak trees imported into England from nurseries in the Netherlands and Germany.

This Rule may be purchased from the Stationery Office at www.tsoshop.co.uk or by contacting TSO Customer Services on 0333 202 5070, or viewed online at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr.