Brussels, 09/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 9 September, the European Commission proposed legislation in order more effectively to combat invasive alien species which reproduce, adapt and constitute a growing threat in Europe to the ecosystems and human health, with an astronomical economic cost.
The draft regulation adopted by the College of European Commissioners encourages a more harmonised approach within the EU, focusing more on prevention, in order to reinforce the effectiveness of actions and also to reduce the costs related to the damage caused and the cost of intervention.
Of more than 12,000 non-native species present in Europe, around 15% are invasive, and the number is increasing rapidly. These species could even lead to the extinction of local species by propagating deadly diseases, including for the human victims of the tiger mosquito or Asian hornet. Repairing the damage caused costs Europe at least €12 billion a year.
“We cannot combat thousands of invasive alien species. The fight will focus on the 50 species of greatest concern. The list of these species will be drawn up with the member states using risk-based criteria, whether these species which have the greatest negative impact on biodiversity or species which cause such major damage in member states that solidarity is required. This is a new political field. The list will be dynamic and subject to revision in no more than five years' time”, Janez Potocnik, the Commissioner for the Environment, told the press, stressing the importance of building experience and creating a “manageable system based on a risk-assessment approach”. The aim is to “step up our efforts to fight this serious problem, throughout our territory”.
The draft regulation lays down three areas for action:
1. Prevention. The member states will carry out controls to prevent the intentional introduction of species of concern. However, given that many species enter the EU unintentionally, attached to goods they contaminate or trapped in containers, the member states will be obliged to act to detect these priority means of introduction of the said species into the EU, to lay down action plans and adopt corrective measures. “In Europe, at the moment, we only have reactive measures. We want to stop invasive species before they reach Europe. The aim is to prevent new invasive alien species from coming in”, the commissioner said. Countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada have already opted for this preventative approach, he observed.
2. Early warning and rapid reaction. When member states detect a species of Union concern that is becoming established, they will take immediate action to eradicate it.
3. Management of established invasive alien species of concern: if species of Union concern are already widely spread, member states will need to put in place measures to minimise the harm they cause.
The mechanism will be accompanied by an information mechanism: the European Alien Species Information Network (EASIN).
The EU could do better, say NGOs. The long-awaited proposal was welcomed by the environmental NGOs as a step in the right direction, but one which nonetheless lacks effectiveness. “It is an important first step (…). But they have seriously hampered the effectiveness of the plans by proposing an arbitrary limit of 50 out of potentially 1,500 species to be dealt with”, said Pieter de Pous, Director of the European Environment Bureau (EEB). The EEB points out that the problem of invasive alien species was identified in 2010 by the Commission as a priority of the biodiversity strategy, to allow the EU to achieve its Horizon 2020 objectives and that climate change, the destruction of habitats and the increase in multilateral trade and tourism are only exacerbating the scale of the problem. He therefore welcomes the emphasis laid on preventing the species from being brought into the EU.
Birdlife welcomes the draft legislation as “a promising step forward”, but not enough. “Invasive species can only be tackled successfully through a flexible, precautionary approach. Our ability to predict which species will cause problems and where will always be incomplete. Therefore, the proposed cap of 50 species for action, with a review of that list possible only after five years, is a serious shortcoming in the proposal. There are at least 1,500 invasive alien species already present in the EU, and that number is increasing fast. We need a responsive system that allows us to act decisively as new species arrive. This will include the introduction and enforcement of a general ban on the deliberate release of invasive non-native species into the environment, and a flexible listing system for problem species - only this makes financial and ecological sense”, said Dr Paul Malton of Birdlife UK. Stressing the principle of polluter-pays, which is enshrined in the treaties, the NGO also laments the lack of an accountability regime for those deliberately introducing these invasive species. The NGOs are looking to the European Parliament and the European Council to set the bar higher. (AN/transl.fl)