Update of the list of invasive alien species of Union concern (European Union)
The Regulation (EU) 1143/2014 on Invasive Alien Species entered into force on the 1st of January 2015. At the core of the Regulation is a list of invasive alien species of Union concern. Following the third update of the list in 2022, 40 invasive alien plant species were listed as species of Union concern. In July 2025, the European Commission published an update to the list and an additional six species and one hybrid are included (Table 1). For each species on the list, EU Member States will need to implement the following measures: (1) prevention, (2) early detection and rapid eradication of new invasions, (3) management of populations that are already widely spread.
Table 1. Invasive alien plants included in the List of Union (EU) concern
Species | Form | Year of addition | EPPO List |
Acacia mearnsii (Fabaceae) | Tree | 2025 | * |
Acacia saligna (Fabaceae) | Tree | 2019 | Invasive Alien Plants |
Ailanthus altissima (Simaroubaceae) | Tree | 2019 | Invasive Alien Plants |
Alternanthera philoxeroides (Amaranthaceae) | Aquatic perennial herb | 2017 | A2 |
Andropogon virginicus (Poaceae) | Perennial grass | 2019 | A2 |
Asclepias syriaca (Apocynaceae) | Perennial herb | 2017 | Invasive Alien Plants |
Baccharis halimifolia (Asteraceae) | Deciduous shrub | 2016 | A2 |
Broussonetia papyrifera (Moraceae) | Tree | 2025 | * |
Cabomba caroliniana (Cabombaceae) | Aquatic perennial herb | 2016 | Invasive Alien Plants |
Cardiospermum grandiflorum (Sapindaceae) | Annual/perennial climber | 2019 | A2 |
Cenchrus setaceus (Poaceae) | Perennial grass | 2017 | Invasive Alien Plants |
Cortaderia jubata (Poaceae) | Perennial grass | 2019 | A1 |
Crassula helmsii (Crassulaceae) | Aquatic herb | 2025 | A2 |
Delairea odorata (Asteraceae) | Vine | 2025 | Invasive Alien Plants, * |
Ehrharta calycina (Poaceae) | Perennial grass | 2019 | A2 |
Elodea nuttallii (Hydrocharitaceae) | Aquatic perennial herb | 2017 | Invasive Alien Plants |
Gunnera tinctoria (Gunneraceae) | Perennial herb | 2017 | Invasive Alien Plants |
Gymnocoronis spilanthoides (Asteraceae) | Aquatic perennial herb | 2019 | A2 |
Hakea sericea (Proteaceae) | Evergreen shrub or small tree | 2022 | A2 |
Heracleum mantegazzianum (Apiaceae) | Monocarpic perennial | 2017 | Invasive Alien Plants |
Heracleum persicum (Apiaceae) | Perennial herb | 2016 | A2 |
Heracleum sosnowskyi (Apiaceae) | Biennial/perennial herb | 2016 | A2 |
Humulus scandens (Cannabaceae) | Annual vine | 2019 | A2 |
Hydrocotyle ranunculoides (Apiaceae) | Perennial aquatic herb | 2016 | A2 |
Impatiens glandulifera (Balsaminaceae) | Annual herb | 2017 | Invasive Alien Plants |
Koenigia polystachya (Polygonaceae) | Perennial herb | 2022 | Invasive Alien Plants |
Lagarosiphon major (Hydrocharitaceae) | Submerged aquatic | 2016 | Invasive Alien Plants |
Lespedeza cuneata (Fabaceae) | Perennial herbaceous legume | 2019 | A1 |
Ludwigia grandiflora (Onagraceae) | Emergent perennial aquatic | 2016 | A2 |
Ludwigia peploides (Onagraceae) | Emergent perennial aquatic | 2016 | A2 |
Lygodium japonicum (Lygodiaceae) | Perennial climbing fern | 2019 | A1 |
Lysichiton americanus (Araceae) | Perennial herb | 2016 | Invasive Alien Plants |
Microstegium vimineum (Poaceae) | Annual grass | 2017 | A2 |
Myriophyllum aquaticum (Haloragaceae) | Aquatic herb | 2016 | Invasive Alien Plants |
Myriophyllum heterophyllum (Haloragaceae) | Aquatic herb | 2017 | A2 |
Neltuma juliflora (Fabaceae) | Perennial woody shrub/tree | 2019 | A2 |
Parthenium hysterophorus (Asteraceae) | Annual herb | 2016 | A2 |
Pistia stratiotes (Araceae) | Perennial aquatic macrophyte | 2022 | A2 |
Polygonum perfoliatum (Polygonaceae) | Annual herbaceous vine | 2016 | A2 |
Pontederia crassipes (Pontederiaceae) | Aquatic floating perennial herb | 2016 | A2 |
Pueraria montana var. lobata (Fabaceae) | Deciduous vine | 2016 | A2 |
Reynoutria japonica (Polygonaceae) | Perennial | 2025 | Invasive Alien Plants |
Reynoutria sachalinensis (Polygonaceae) | Perennial | 2025 | Invasive Alien Plants |
Reynoutria x bohemica (Polygonaceae) | Perennial | 2025 | Invasive Alien Plants |
Salvinia molesta (Salviniaceae) | Perennial floating aquatic | 2019 | A2 |
Triadica sebifera (Euphorbiaceae) | Deciduous tree | 2019 | A1 |
Note: Celastrus orbiculatus was included in Regulation 1143/204 in 2022 and will be added to the list after a transition period of five years.
* - the EPPO Panel on Invasive Alien Plants agreed that in 2025/26 the EPPO prioritization process for invasive alien plants (PM 5/6), section B (Prioritization process scheme for the identification of invasive alien plants for which a PRA is needed) will be carried out on these species to evaluate if a PRA Report should be produced for the whole of the EPPO region or if they should be included on the EPPO List of Invasive Alien Plants.
Sources
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1422 of 17 July 2025 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1141 to update the list of invasive alien species of Union concern. OJ L 2025/1422. http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/1422/oj