Updating the list of invasive alien species of Union concern (European Union)
On the 14th July 2016, the European Commission published the Commission Implementing Regulation 2016/1141 which adopted a list of 37 invasive alien species of Union concern. In July 2017, a further 12 invasive alien species were added to the list, of which 8 species are invasive plant species (see table below). The list is at the centre of the Regulation (1143/2014), on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species, which was adopted in September 2014 and came into force on the 1st January 2015. Before a species is included in the List of Union concern, a risk assessement should show the species has an adverse impact on biodiversity and ecosystem services along with other requirements from Article 5(1) of the Regulation. For each species on the list, Member States will need to implement the following measures: (1) prevention, (2) early detection and rapid eradication of new invasions, (3) management of invasions that are already widely spread.
Table 1. The eight invasive alien plant species included in the list of Union concern in 2017
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Species
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EPPO list
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Native range
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Alternanthera philoxeroides (Amaranthaceae)
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EPPO A2
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South America
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Elodea nuttallii (Hydrocharitaceae)
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Invasive Alien Plants
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North America
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Gunnera tinctoria (Gunneraceae)
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Invasive Alien Plants
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Asia
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Heracleum mantegazzianum (Apiaceae)
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Invasive Alien Plants
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Caucasus region
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Impatiens glandulifera (Balsaminaceae)
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Invasive Alien Plants
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Himalayas
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Microstegium vimineum (Andropogonaeae)
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EPPO A2
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Asia
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Myriophyllum heterophyllum (Haloragaceae)
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EPPO A2
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North America
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Pennisetum setaceum (Poaceae)
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Invasive Alien Plants
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Africa
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Sources
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2017/1263 of 12 July 2017 updating the list of invasive alien species of Union concern established by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1141 pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv