Ambitious Advances of the European Union in the Legislation of Invasive Alien Species

Abstract

Conservation legislation provides a legal basis for conservation action and is crucial for effective conservation management. In April 2014, the European Parliament agreed upon a proposal for an EU‐wide regulation to combat invasive alien species (IAS). The proposal incorporates many Guiding Principles of the Convention on Biodiversity for dealing with IAS. In addition, to prevention, eradication, management, and control it involves scientists, stakeholders and the public in decision making processes. It goes further by applying the “polluter‐pays” principle: costs of damage induced by IAS and costs for restoration are shifted to the natural person, that is, a human being, or legal person, for example a company, state, etc., responsible for a species introduction. Because of its deterrent and preventive effect, the “polluter‐pays” principle is a valued instrument in environmental policy. It now depends upon the Council of the European Union to agree on the ambitious proposal and adopt this modern conservation legislation. However, we recommend further improvements to achieve effective conservation management. Member States need to coordinate actions and adapt measures to newest scientific findings, best accomplished by a European center of IAS. Securing sufficient funding for such a center would greatly increase the likelihood of the regulation to facilitate efficient conservation initiatives. Before this publication went to press the Council of the European Union adopted this regulation (22. October 2014) in the version of the second proposal as referred to in this text.

Mismatch between Habitat Science and Habitat Directive: Lessons from the French (Counter) Example

“…Invasive ecology because other European policies target invasive species (Beninde et al . ) and A17E takes them as an important threat to habitats (SI‐Table 1‐A4). Definitions of habitats in practitioner's manuals (SI‐Table 1‐A7) are however based on lists of “index species” often including invasive species.…”

“…To be able to use these results, practitioners would have to reanalyze raw data to reclassify them in HCI terms, and redo analyses to see whether published results persist when translated (Figure ). Invasive ecology because other European policies target invasive species (Beninde et al . ) and A17E takes them as an important threat to habitats (SI‐Table 1‐A4). Definitions of habitats in practitioner's manuals (SI‐Table 1‐A7) are however based on lists of “index species” often including invasive species.…”

Developing a framework of minimum standards for the risk assessment of alien species

“…Risk assessment is essential for underpinning many components of IAS policy, for example EU Regulation No 1143/2014, and decision‐making including prevention (to inform legislation and justify restrictions, such as on trade and/or consumer activities), early detection (warning) and rapid response (prioritizing action and guiding surveillance) and long‐term control (prioritizing species for control and monitoring) (Beninde, Fischer, Hochkirch, & Zink, ; Genovesi, Carboneras, Vilà, & Walton, ; Tollington et al., ). Additionally, risk assessments are required to justify measures that may affect trade without infringing the rules and disciplines of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) (Shine et al., ) and for communicating with other sectors such as those with conservation remits (Pergl et al., ).…”

A new European regulation on invasive alien species and its importance for forestry

“…Therefore, all Member States must aim at recovering costs undergone to prevent, minimise and mitigate the negative impacts brought by invasive alien species, as well as cost related to habitat restoration. As stated by Beninde et al (2014) payments must be covered by human beings or legal person found to be the cause of the introduction or spread of invasive alien species. These authors also highlighted that in this way society as a whole will not bear the costs of these activities.…”