# List of invasive alien species of Union concern

In 2016, following the EU Regulation 1143/2014 on Invasive Alien Species (IAS), the European Commission published a first list of 37 IAS of Union concern. The list was first updated in 2017 and comprised 49 species. Since the second update in 2019, 66 species are listed as IAS of EU concern. Since the third update in 2022, 88 species are listed as IAS of EU concern, although the final inclusion of three of these species has been deferred to 2024, and one to 2027.
The species on the list are subject to restrictions on keeping, importing, selling, breeding and growing. Member States of the European Union must take measures to stop their spread, implement monitoring and preferably eradicate these species. Even countries in which they are already widespread are expected to manage the species to avoid further spread.

## Sortable table of invasive alien species of Union concern

| Scientific name | English name | Taxonomic group | Entry into force |
| Acacia saligna (Labill.) H.L.Wendl. | Golden wreath wattle | Plantae | 2019 |
| Acridotheres tristis Linnaeus, 1766 | Common or Indian myna | Aves | 2019 |
| Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle | Tree of heaven | Plantae | 2019 |
| Alopochen aegyptiaca Linnaeus, 1766 | Egyptian goose | Aves | 2017 |
| Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb. | Alligator weed | Plantae | 2017 |
| Ameiurus melas | Black bullhead | Pisces | 2022 |
| Andropogon virginicus L. | Broomsedge bluestem | Plantae | 2019 |
| Arthurdendyus triangulatus (Dendy, 1894) Jones & Gerard (1999) | New Zealand flatworm | Rhabditophora | 2019 |
| Asclepias syriaca L. | Milkweed | Plantae | 2017 |
| Axis axis | Chital | Mammalia | 2022 |
| Baccharis halimifolia L. | Eastern baccharis | Plantae | 2016 |
| Cabomba caroliniana Gray | Green cabomba | Plantae | 2016 |
| Callosciurus erythraeus Pallas, 1779 | Pallas's squirrel | Mammalia | 2016 |
| Callosciurus finlaysonii | Finlayson's squirrel | Mammalia | 2022 |
| Cardiospermum grandiflorum Sw. | Balloon vine | Plantae | 2019 |
| Celastrus orbiculatus | Oriental bittersweet | Plantae | 2027 (2022) |
| Channa argus | Northern snakehead | Pisces | 2022 |
| Cortaderia jubata (Lemoine ex Carrière) Stapf | Purple pampas grass | Plantae | 2019 |
| Corvus splendens Vieillot, 1817 | Indian house crow | Aves | 2016 |
| Ehrharta calycina Sm. | Perennial veldtgrass | Plantae | 2019 |
| Eichhornia crassipes (Martius) Solms | Water hyacinth | Plantae | 2016 |
| Elodea nuttallii (Planch.) St. John | Nuttall's waterweed | Plantae | 2017 |
| Eriocheir sinensis H. Milne Edwards, 1854 | Chinese mitten crab | Crustacea | 2016 |
| Faxonius rusticus | Rusty crayfish | Crustacea | 2022 |
| Fundulus heteroclitus | Mummichog | Pisces | 2024 (2022) |
| Gambusia affinis | Western mosquitofish | Pisces | 2022 |
| Gambusia holbrooki | Eastern mosquitofish | Pisces | 2022 |
| Gunnera tinctoria (Molina) Mirbel | Chilean rhubarb | Plantae | 2017 |
| Gymnocoronis spilanthoides (D.Don ex Hook. & Arn.) DC. | Spadeleaf plant | Plantae | 2019 |
| Hakea sericea | Needlebush | Plantae | 2022 |
| Heracleum mantegazzianum Sommier & Levier | Giant hogweed | Plantae | 2017 |
| Heracleum persicum Fischer | Persian hogweed | Plantae | 2016 |
| Heracleum sosnowskyi Mandenova | Sosnowski's hogweed | Plantae | 2016 |
| Herpestes javanicus É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1818 | Small Asian mongoose | Mammalia | 2016 |
| Humulus scandens (Lour.) Merr. | Japanese hop | Plantae | 2019 |
| Hydrocotyle ranunculoides L. f. | Floating pennywort | Plantae | 2016 |
| Impatiens glandulifera Royle | Himalayan balsam | Plantae | 2017 |
| Koenigia polystachya | Himalayan knotweed | Plantae | 2022 |
| Lagarosiphon major (Ridley) Moss | Curly waterweed | Plantae | 2016 |
| Lampropeltis getula | Common kingsnake | Reptilia | 2022 |
| Lepomis gibbosus Linnaeus, 1758 | Pumpkinseed | Pisces | 2019 |
| Lespedeza cuneata (Dum.Cours.) G.Don | Chinese bushclover, sericea | Plantae | 2019 |
| Limnoperna fortunei | Golden mussel | Mollusca | 2022 |
| Lithobates catesbeianus Shaw, 1802 | American bullfrog | Amphibia | 2016 |
| Ludwigia grandiflora (Michx.) Greuter & Burdet | Water primrose | Plantae | 2016 |
| Ludwigia peploides (Kunth) P.H. Raven | Floating primrose | Plantae | 2016 |
| Lygodium japonicum (Thunb.) Sw. | Vine-like fern | Plantae | 2019 |
| Lysichiton americanus Hultén & H. St. John | American skunk cabbage | Plantae | 2016 |
| Microstegium vimineum (Trin.) A. Camus | Japanese stiltgrass | Plantae | 2017 |
| Morone americana | White perch | Pisces | 2022 |
| Muntiacus reevesi Ogilby, 1839 | Muntjac deer | Mammalia | 2016 |
| Myocastor coypus Molina, 1782 | Coypu, Nutria | Mammalia | 2016 |
| Myriophyllum aquaticum (Vell.) Verdc. | Parrot's feather | Plantae | 2016 |
| Myriophyllum heterophyllum Michaux | Broadleaf watermilfoil | Plantae | 2017 |
| Nasua nasua Linnaeus, 1766 | South American coati | Mammalia | 2016 |
| Nyctereutes procyonoides Gray, 1834 | Raccoon dog | Mammalia | 2019 (2017) |
| Ondatra zibethicus Linnaeus, 1766 | Muskrat | Mammalia | 2017 |
| Orconectes limosus Rafinesque, 1817 | Spiny-cheek crayfish | Crustacea | 2016 |
| Orconectes virilis Hagen, 1870 | Virile (northern) crayfish | Crustacea | 2016 |
| Oxyura jamaicensis Gmelin, 1789 | Ruddy duck | Aves | 2016 |
| Pacifastacus leniusculus Dana, 1852 | Signal crayfish | Crustacea | 2016 |
| Parthenium hysterophorus L. | Whitetop weed | Plantae | 2016 |
| Pennisetum setaceum (Forssk.) Chiov. | Crimson fountaingrass | Plantae | 2017 |
| Perccottus glenii Dybowski, 1877 | Amur sleeper | Pisces | 2016 |
| Persicaria perfoliata (L.) H. Gross | Asiatic tearthumb | Plantae | 2016 |
| Pistia stratiotes | Water lettuce | Plantae | 2024 (2022) |
| Plotosus lineatus (Thunberg, 1787) | Striped eel catfish | Pisces | 2019 |
| Procambarus clarkii Girard, 1852 | Red swamp crayfish | Crustacea | 2016 |
| Procambarus virginalis (Lyko, 2017) | Marbled crayfish | Crustacea | 2016 |
| Procyon lotor Linnaeus, 1758 | Raccoon | Mammalia | 2016 |
| Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC. | Mesquite | Plantae | 2019 |
| Pseudorasbora parva Temminck & Schlegel, 1846 | Topmouth gudgeon | Pisces | 2016 |
| Pueraria montana var. lobata (Willd.) | Kudzu vine | Plantae | 2016 |
| Pycnonotus cafer | Red-vented bulbul | Aves | 2022 |
| Rugulopteryx okamurae | | Plantae | 2022 |
| Salvinia molesta D.S. Mitch. | Giant salvinia, kariba weed | Plantae | 2019 |
| Sciurus carolinensis Gmelin, 1788 | Grey squirrel | Mammalia | 2016 |
| Sciurus niger Linnaeus, 1758 | Bryant's fox squirrel | Mammalia | 2016 |
| Solenopsis geminata | Red imported fire ant | Insecta | 2022 |
| Solenopsis invicta | Tropical fire ant | Insecta | 2022 |
| Solenopsis richteri | Black imported fire ant | Insecta | 2022 |
| Tamias sibiricus Laxmann, 1769 | Siberian chipmunk | Mammalia | 2016 |
| Threskiornis aethiopicus Latham, 1790 | Sacred Ibis | Aves | 2016 |
| Trachemys scripta elegans Schoepff, 1792 | Red eared slider | Reptilia | 2016 |
| Triadica sebifera (L.) Small | Chinese tallowtree | Plantae | 2019 |
| Vespa velutina nigrithorax du Buysson, 1905 | Yellow-legged Asian hornet | Insecta | 2016 |
| Wasmannia auropunctata | Electric ant | Insecta | 2022 |
| Xenopus laevis | African clawed frog | Amphibia | 2024 (2022) |

## Resources

* Official IAS webpage
* An Introduction to the EU Regulation on Invasive Alien Species (Version 2022) (PDF). Overview of the project.
* An introduction to the invasive alien species of Union concern (Version 2022) (PDF). This brochure presents the currently listed invasive alien species of Union concern, offering brief, non-technical and informal summaries of each of the 88 species.
* Baseline Distribution of Invasive Alien Species of Union Concern