Poland: national initiatives on Code of conduct
The answers provided by Poland to the questionnaire on the implementation of the Council of Europe/EPPO Code of conduct on horticulture and invasive alien plants in European and Mediterranean countries are summarized below. The general conclusions of the questionnaire are presented in EPPO RS 2011/144.
Poland was among the first countries to translate the Code of conduct in 2010. The Polish Code of conduct was one of the documents used by the General Directorate for Environmental Protection to elaborate a legal act which provides for restrictions on the import, possession and trade of invasive alien species, including plants. This law will come into force in 2011. Although there is no specific project to implement the Code of conduct, this document will certainly be included in the Polish IAS strategy. The strategy was developed in 2010 but its implementation was postponed due to the on-going developments at the EU level.
Stage and scale of implementation: The implementation of the Polish IAS strategy including the Code of conduct is pending the development of EU activities on invasive species. The Code of conduct has been translated and publicized.
Partners associated: The Code of conduct was translated by the General Directorate for Environmental Protection. It was then publicized by the Institute of Nature Conservation, (Polish Academy of Sciences) in particular toward the Polish landscape planners association (Zieleń Polska).
Target of the Polish Code of conduct: The Code of conduct is addressed to all stakeholders that may deal with invasive alien plants.
Financing of the initiative: The translation was financed by the General Directorate for Environmental Protection.
Use of legislation: The Code of conduct should be used in conjunction with the list of prohibited invasive alien plants.
Criteria to establish lists of invasive alien plants: There is no standard risk assessment scheme to list the species to be included into the new Polish act restricting the import, possession and trade of invasive alien plants. Species are selected on the basis of information on their invasive behavior in other countries (through data provided by EPPO, DAISIE, NOBANIS, ISSG, etc.). This legal act targets species that are absent from Poland or of limited distribution and considered invasive in other countries. These species are: Ailanthus altissima (Simaroubaceae, EPPO List of IAP), Crassula helmsii (Crassulaceae, EPPO A2 List), Elodea nuttallii (Hydrocharitaceae, EPPO List of IAP), Fallopia japonica, F. sachalinensis and F. x bohemica (Polygonaceae, EPPO List of IAP), Heracleum mantegazzianum (Apiaceae), EPPO List of IAP), H. sosnowskyi (Apiaceae, EPPO A2 List), Lysichiton americanus (Araceae, EPPO List of IAP), Spartina anglica (Poaceae) and Ulex europaeus (Fabaceae). Species that are very invasive but already widespread in Poland are not covered.
Main requirements of the Code: According to the future regulation, any person who wishes to import, possess or trade listed IAS will need to obtain permission.
Use of incentives or sanctions: Not considered so far.
Revision or update of the Code of conduct: Any input from EPPO or the Council of Europe would be considered.
Prevention of the spread of Invasive alien plants: There are some local initiatives (on-going or planned) to control invasive alien plants. This includes raising awareness on the methods to limit the spread of these species.
Communication activities: When translated, the Code of conduct was the object of media attention, but this interest rapidly vanished. Information on invasive alien species is available on the Internet portal ’Alien species in Poland’.
Monitoring of the implementation of the Code of conduct: No monitoring of the Code of conduct is planned. The monitoring of invasive alien species has been included in the Natura 2000 framework.
Sources
Polish version of the Code of conduct, translated by the General Directorate for Environmental Protection. http://www.gdos.gov.pl/files/OP/Kodeks_postepowania-ogrodnictwo_rosliny_inwazyjne.pdf
Alien Species in Poland portal. http://www.iop.krakow.pl/ias
Contact: Wojciech Solarz, Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, E-mail: solarz@iop.krakow.pl