EU Regulation No 1143/201 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species (IAS), such as the water hyacinth, the Asian hornet or the raccoon, is bearing fruit, but many challenges remain, according to the first report on the implementation of the Regulation published by the European Commission on Wednesday 13 October.
This legislation establishes rules to prevent, minimise and mitigate the adverse effects of invasive alien species on biodiversity and related ecosystem services, human health and safety, and to limit their social and economic impact.
“Invasive alien species are a major driver of biodiversity loss in Europe. This Regulation will be an essential tool to continue to address this threat and put biodiversity on the path of recovery under the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030”, commented EU Commissioner for the Environment Virginijus Sinkevičius in a statement.
The report shows that prevention and management measures, information sharing and awareness of the problem have improved. For 57 of the 135 cases reported, IAS were detected at an early stage of invasion and rapidly eradicated.
However, some Member States do not have sufficient funds or the administrative capacity to tackle IAS. Most Member States have not yet implemented action plans to address priority pathways of introduction and spread.
In addition, surveillance systems and control structures in many Member States could be improved in terms of coverage and comprehensiveness. In addition, there are still knowledge gaps, especially in the costs and benefits of IAS control and on management methods.
The European Commission indicates that it will take steps to improve the implementation of the Regulation.
See the report: https://bit.ly/30cnsmn (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)