Steve Ashby, International Plant Health Policy & Deputy Head of Plant Health Policy Team, the UK Department for Environment and Rural Affairs. Steve Ashby has worked for the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (or its predecessor) since 1980. Following spells in Cereals and Oilseeds Policy divisions, including a period of secondment to the European Commission, he has been involved in plant health since 1995, in particular, the international policy aspects, notably in association with the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). Steve is currently the Chair of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures, the governing body of the International Plant Protection Convention, which agrees with international standards related to the movement of plants and plant products – ISPMs (International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures). Steve has worked closely with the European Commission in most of his roles, as well as with the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation (EPPO). His particular interest is in raising awareness of plant health so that traders and individuals are aware of the risks involved in the movement of plants and plant products.
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