12 new species added to EU list of invasive alien species

The Committee on Invasive Alien Species (IAS) of the European Commission adopted 12 new species onto the EU’s list of IAS of Union concern. These species, which include the common milkweed, Japanese stiltgrass and giant hogweed, all pose serious threats to Europe’s biodiversity and will now face a number of EU-wide restrictions.

Currently, in Europe there are around 1800 plants, animals, fungi and micro-organisms that are alien and invasive to their natural environment. Their numbers are rapidly growing.

Invasive alien species are one of the major causes of biodiversity loss. They also have major economic consequences in areas such as health care and animal health costs, crop yield losses, fish stock losses, damage to infrastructure and the navigability of rivers.

Read the EU Commission Press Release: ec.europa.eu/environment/pdf/12_07_2017__news_en.pdf

and the List of Invasive Alien Alien Species (IAS): ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/invasivealien/docs/first_update_of__IAS_union_list.pdf