Commission staff working document - Annex to the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Towards an EU strategy on invasive species - Impact assessment - Executive summary {COM(2008) 789 final} {SEC(2008) 2887}
Date: 2008-12-03
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: biodiversity, ecology, ecosystem, harmful plant, parasitology, plant propagation, toxic substance

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 3.12.2008 
SEC(2008) 2886 

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 

Annex to the 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

TOWARDS AN EU STRATEGY ON INVASIVE SPECIES 

IMPACT ASSESSMENT - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

{COM(2008) 789 final} 
{SEC(2008) 2887} 

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IMPACT ASSESSMENT - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

I. The nature of the problem and identification of the objective of the initiative 

"Alien  species"  are  species  which  are  introduced  outside  their  natural  past  or  present 
distribution  area  and  succeed  in  surviving  and  subsequently  reproducing.  "Invasive  Alien 
Species" are alien species whose introduction and/or spread threaten biological diversity1. The 
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment revealed that IAS impact on all ecosystems2. The problem 
of  biological  invasions  is  growing  rapidly  as  a  result  of  increased  trade  activities.  Invasive 
species  (IS)3  negatively  affect  biodiversity  e.g.  by  competing  with  other  organisms  and 
changing  habitat  structure,  being  toxic,  being  a  reservoir  for  parasites  or  a  vector  for 
pathogens,  hybridising  with  related  species  or  varieties,  predating  on  native  organisms, 
altering  the  local  food  web,  e.g.  invasive  plants  alter  nutrient  availability,  disrupting 
pollination  services,  causing  extinction  of  native  species,  being  an  ecosystem  engineer  by 
altering energy and nutrient flows, as well as physical factors in habitats and ecosystems. IS 
can  cause  congestion  in  waterways,  damage  to  forestry,  crops  and  buildings  and  damage  in 
urban areas. The costs of preventing, controlling and/or eradicating IS and the environmental 
and economic damage are significant. The costs of control, although lower than the costs of 
continued damage by the invader, are often high. These costs could be avoided or minimised 
by decisions to prevent and stop introductions at an earlier stage. 

Alien to Europe
Alien in Europe
Aliens of European origin

3000

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

s
e
i
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0
1500

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1800

1900

2000

Date of introduction

SOURCE: DAISIE project (see Annex B) 

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CBD Guiding Principles (CBD Decision COP VI/23). 
See Annex: Figure 1 - main drivers' impact on biodiversity/ecosystems from the Millennium Ecosystem 
Assessment (MA, 2005). 
The  term  ‘Invasive  Species’  used  throughout  this  document  encompasses  the  terms  ‘Invasive  Alien 
Species’ as used by the Convention on Biological Diversity and ‘Invasive non-native species’. Invasive 
Species are broadly defined as species whose introduction and/or spread threaten biological diversity or 
have other unforeseen consequences. 

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The increased mobility of Europeans and people and goods in general has many benefits, but 
it also increases opportunities for intentional introduction of highly invasive species and for 
unintentional  introduction  of  ‘hitchhiker’  or  contaminant  organisms  through  trade  or  other 
pathways.  IS  do  not  recognise  national  boundaries.  The  impact  and  related  costs  of  IS  will 
further increase due to the expected exponential increase of IS in the future (see graph above). 
This  is  a  shared  problem  of  all  Member  States,  Europe  and  the  world.  Thus  it  is  critical  to 
address this global threat also at the European level. 

Good practice in relation to policies and legislation relating to IS is found in some areas, but it 
remains  scattered.  The  fragmented  measures  in  place  are  unlikely  to  make  a  substantial 
contribution to lowering the risks posed by IS to Europe's nature and ecosystems. There are at 
present no mechanisms to support harmonisation or basic consistency of approaches between 
neighbouring  countries.  The  multitude  of  existing  EU  legislation  partly  covering  different 
aspects of IS makes coordinated implementation difficult. 

The  Community  has  committed  itself  to  substantially  reducing  the  impact  of  IS  on 
biodiversity.  To  contribute  to  this  process  this  impact  assessment  report  aims  to  outline  the 
policy options and measures for immediate implementation while developing "an EU Strategy 
on  IS".  The  current  policies  in  place  and  the  legal  context  are  set  out  in  Chapter  1  of  the 
Impact  Assessment  Report,  which  also  provides  a  review  of  the  use  of  consultation  and 
expertise  in  the  preparation  of  the  Communication.  Chapter  2  reviews  the  issue  of  invasive 
species  in  Europe  and  describes  the  various  pathways  of  introduction.  It  gives  examples  of 
their  environmental  and  economic  impact  and  an  overview  of  current  knowledge  about  the 
related  costs,  and  also  explains  the  need  for  action  at  EU  level.  Chapter  3  presents  the 
objectives of an EU Strategy on IS. 

II. Exploration of different approaches for achieving the objectives 

Chapter  4  presents  four  policy  options  identified  for  addressing  the  objectives  and  some 
horizontal  issues  that  are  relevant  to  all  options.  These  options  are  not  exclusive  and 
competitive packages. They are options of increasing intensity and effectiveness. Increased 
intensity needs  increased  resources, and therefore depends on the willingness to invest. The 
measures  identified  in  option  B  are  not  stand-alone  measures.  They  should  be  seen  as 
cumulative  measures,  which  are  part  of  the  approach  seeking  to  boost  current  efforts  to 
tackle  IS  problems  and  maximise  the  existing  instruments  and  legislation.  It  is  feasible  to 
implement certain of these measures immediately, while other elements would take several 
years.  The  suggested  measures  include  actions  for  the  prevention  of  intentional  and 
unintentional  introduction,  early  warning  and  information,  eradication,  containment  and 
control of established IS species. The options identified are:  

•  Option  A,  Business  as  usual:  continuation  with  the  ongoing  implementation  of  existing 

instruments. 

•  Option  B,  Maximise  use  of  existing  approaches:  best  use  of  existing  legislation, 
development and implementation of voluntary codes of conduct, development of an early 
warning and information system, maintenance of the European inventory on IS, increasing 
awareness, exchange of best practice, implementation of eradication and control measures 
at national level. 

•  Option B+, Adapt existing legislation: this option implies amending existing legislation to 

widen the scope to formally take IS issues into account. 

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•  Option C, Comprehensive, dedicated EU legal instrument: this option includes the basic 
tools  described  in  option  B,  but  in  addition  includes  the  rapid  introduction  of  new 
legislation, which will make it possible to tackle IS in a comprehensive manner. 

A  set  of  horizontal  measures  that  are  common  and  relevant  to  all  options  is  also  under 
consideration;  these  include  communication,  education  and  awareness-raising,  development 
of the knowledge base and financing. 

Chapter  5  summarises  the  options  and  provides  an  overall  comparison  and  evaluation. 
Chapter 6  provides  conclusions,  while  Chapter  7  identifies  aspects  of  monitoring  and 
indicators  that  will  help  in  assessing  progress  towards  the  preparation  of  a  comprehensive 
EU Strategy on Invasive Species. 

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