In this document, the PLH Panel has responded to a question from the European Commission DG SANCO requesting an opinion on the “Evaluation of asymptomatic citrus fruit as a pathway for the introduction of citrus canker disease” made by the US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and, in particular, on its conclusion that asymptomatic citrus fruit is an unlikely pathway for the spread of the disease. Citrus canker is an economically significant plant disease caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri (Xac) affecting most of the citrus growing areas in the world. Rigorous phytosanitary measures have insured that some areas, including Europe, are still free of the disease. These include the use of systems approaches. The current systems approach for the trade of citrus fruit requires that fruit are coming from a disease-free area surrounded by a non-export buffer zone. The APHIS document proposes to modify the systems approach so that asymptomatic fruit coming from infected/contaminated areas are eligible for trade. The APHIS document describes the biology of Xac, the epidemiology of the citrus canker disease and the spread potential of the pathogen. The data were then used to evaluate the phytosanitary evidence regarding asymptomatic fruit as a pathway for the introduction of the disease into a new area. Five “Events” were identified in the APHIS document as necessary for the disease to be introduced into a new area through commercial fruit: Event 1: Infected/contaminated fruit is harvested. Event 2: Inoculum on infected/contaminated fruit survives the packing/treatment process. Event 3: Inoculum on infected/contaminated fruit survives shipment. Event 4: Infected/contaminated fruit go to a suitable area with conditions for infection. Event 5: Inoculum from infected/contaminated fruit encounters a suitable host and is able to incite disease. The PLH panel agreed with the method of analysis presented in the APHIS document, but not with the conclusion reached. The APHIS document analyses the five events that must occur for successful introduction and proposes a new systems approach to prevent entry and establishment. However, key arguments provided in the APHIS document are not supported by scientifically sound evidence: major events are not analysed on the basis of quantitative data, important statements are not always supported by adequate scientific references, and references are frequently reported in a way which do not correctly reflect the results and conclusions of the cited paper. Therefore, since no new or additional studies are presented the analysis of the evidence provided in the document does not justify a change in the regulations. None of the preventative measures in the systems approach proposed by APHIS are shown to give effective control of Xac. The Panel concluded that, where an initial inoculum load exists, the transmission of Xac in the scheme proposed by APHIS is more likely than with the current systems approach.