Legislation and standards in the scope of plant health always have trans-boundary impacts. Thus, there is a very intensive cooperation between expert committees of the European Union, the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO), the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC-Secretariat) in the Organization for Food and Agriculture of the United Nations (FAO). At the EPPO and IPPC, the Institute is involved in the development of standards for the international trade with plants and plant products. One focus lies on binding EU-regulations in the Standing Committee of the European Commission for plants, animals, food and feed. The experts of the Institute are assigned by the BMEL to contribute regularly in this Committee and the connected working groups in the sections of plant health, fruit propagation material as well as propagation material of ornamentals. Another focus is the cooperation in working groups of the EU Council where frame conditions and new concepts for the regulations are prepared. We are also assigned to examine and to comment future legislation and to contribute with own or research results and to provide for technically based and feasible regulations.