A european regulation on the management of invasive alien species : main lines of action and discussion points

Abstract

A Regulationon « the prevention and the management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species » was published 9 September 2013, and has been discussed within the European Parliament and the Council. First, this article aims at presenting this Regulation. Its ambition is to mitigate the impacts of invasive alien species, to harmonize the management of these species on the scale of the Union, and to develop a preventive management. The provisions will apply to a list of invasive alien species of Union concern and will involve bans and restrictions, management of pathways, a surveillance system, controls at the Union borders, mesures for rapid reaction and the management of the species widely spread. Second, we are laying out the issues that have been debated over the past months, such as the nature of the impact of species on the list, the scope of the Union in which these species are really harmful and where provisions will apply (in all or in a part of the Union territory). Bans and derogations have also been debated. This presentation raises consciousness about the importance and complexity of the national policy the Regulation will involve.