Malta has been granted EU funds to fight the red palm weevil, which attacks palm trees.

The assistance is part of a €14m grant being given by the European Commission to programmes in seven Member States to combat organisms harmful to plants and to prevent them from spreading further in the European Union.

The funds have been granted to Germany, Italy, Malta, The Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain following their request for such aid.

Most of the funds will be devoted to the control of numerous outbreaks in Portugal of pinewood nematode, which is a microscopic worm harmful to coniferous trees. European coniferous species are highly susceptible and the pest could have devastating effects for European pine forests. The financing of the actions assists Portugal to contain pinewood nematode within the existing demarcated zone. This, in turn, helps to safeguard the territory of the other Member States and protect Union trade interests in relation to third countries.

Financing will also assist Spain in the actions taken against a single isolated outbreak of pine wood nematode, which was detected in November 2008 and successfully eradicated in 2008/2009.

Money was also allocated for the control of two types of beetles, the Asian longhorn beetle and the Chinese longhorn beetle. Both insects attack a wide range of woody plant species and are mainly present in Asia.