19 July 2016
EC Adopts First-Ever EU List of Invasive Alien Species
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The European Commission (EC) has adopted, for the first time, a list of invasive alien species (IAS) that identifies 37 non-native plants and animals that threaten the EU's environment.

Species on the list will be subject to the restrictions and measures set out in the EU Regulation on IAS.

EU member countries now have three years to implement control measures for species on the list.

EU-SE4ALL13 July 2016: The European Commission (EC) has adopted, for the first time, a list of invasive alien species (IAS) that identifies 37 non-native plants and animals that threaten the EU’s environment. Species on the list will be subject to the restrictions and measures set out in the EU Regulation on IAS. EU member countries now have three years to implement control measures for species on the list.

Leonardo Mazza, European Environment Bureau (EEB), acknowledging that adoption of the list of IAS of concern to the EU is “a step in the right direction,” stated that more species must be added in order to effectively tackle the threat. Karmenu Vella, EU Commissioner for Environment, Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, said work is already underway to update the list on a regular basis. With IAS threatening human health and the economy through damage to crops and infrastructure, the EU estimates the socioeconomic cost of such species to be between €12 and €20 billion per year.

According to the EC, approximately 15% of the over 12,000 alien species (plants, animals, fungi and micro-organisms) in the EU are invasive, and are one of the biggest causes of biodiversity loss. The listed 37 species will be subject to the EU Regulation on IAS, which includes: restrictions related to keeping, importing, selling, breeding and growing; measures for prevention, early detection eradication of new IAS, and management of existing IAS; and special provisions to address the needs of pet owners, traders, breeders and others.

The EU Regulation on IAS entered into force on 1 January 2015. [EEB Press Release] [EC Press Release] [List of IAS of Concern to the EU] [EC IAS Website] [Q and A Regarding IAS List] [EU Regulation on IAS] [December 2015 Briefing on IAS of EU Concern]

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