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Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs An Roinn Talmhaíochta, Comhshaoil agus Gnóthaí Tuaithe Depairtment o' Fairmin, Environment an' Kintra Matthers

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  • EU Invasive alien species

    Topics:
    • Biodiversity, 
    • Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS)

    Non-native species are those that have been introduced, either intentionally or unintentionally, outside their natural range. Many of these non-native species live in harmony with our native species causing no adverse impacts. However a few non-native species have become known as ‘invasive’ as they thrive in our habitats and out-compete our native flora and fauna.

    EU Regulation on Invasive Alien Species

    In November 2014 the European Union published a new Regulation (EU) 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species.

    The EU Regulation came into force on 1 January 2015 and addresses the problem of certain European wide invasive alien species in a comprehensive manner. It aims to establish a more consistent approach to tackling those invasive alien species.

    A core provision of the EU Regulation is a list of invasive alien species of Union concern (‘the Union list’), which are species whose potential adverse impacts across the European Union are such that concerted action across Europe is required.

    The first Union list of 37 species (14 plants and 23 animals) was adopted on 4 December 2015 and came into force on 3 August 2016.

    The first update of the Union list which added a further 12 species (9 plants and 3 animals) was adopted on 12 July 2017 and enters into force on 2 August 2017.

    The second update of the Union list which added a further 17 species (13 plants and 4 animals) was adopted on 25 July 2019 and entered into force on 15 August 2019.

    • Consolidated List of invasive alien species of Union concern

    In addition to the general FAQ which the Commission has published on its website(external link opens in a new window / tab), NI Government has also produced its own FAQ for NI stakeholders which can be found on the Invasive Species Northern Ireland website here - https://invasivespeciesni.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/NIEA-Invasive-Alien-Species-Order-Updated-2024-FAQs.pdf

    The Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order (Northern Ireland) 2019

    In line with Defra, and the other devolved administrations, the Department has introduced new domestic legislation to fulfil its obligations under the EU Regulation

    The Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order (Northern Ireland) 2019 makes provision for criminal offences relating to breaches of requirements of the EU Regulation.

    Part 2 of the 2019 Order contains criminal offences, which include breach of the main restrictions in the EU Regulation, as well as ancillary offences; - for example relating to false statements, attempts to commit offences and obstruction. It also contains provisions relating to offences by bodies corporate, partnerships and unincorporated associations. Parts 3 and 4 contain defences to those offences and penalties respectively. Penalties are set to be consistent with similar penalties contained in existing legislation relating to non-native species. Part 5 sets out enforcement powers available to the Department and authorised persons who will enforce the Order. Part 6 provides for the issue of permits in accordance with Articles 8 and 9 of the EU Regulation. Part 7 contains licensing provisions which may be issued for a number of different activities, provided specific conditions are met. Permits and licenses will be issued by the Department. Part 8 contains provisions ensuring the Order works alongside related legislation and avoids duplication of controls between similar regimes were possible.

    Any companion animal of a listed species that was kept before it was included on the EU list may continue to be kept in secure accommodation, as long as it is not able to breed until the end of its natural life.

    The Order comes into operation on 1st December 2019.

    Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 Of the European Parliament and of The Council of 22 October 2014 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species

     

    The European Commission has to date listed 88 ‘Species of Union Concern’ to which the EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation 1143/2014 applies.

    All of these species have been accepted as meeting agreed criteria concerning their invasiveness and ability to establish in several Member States.

    Listing imposes restrictions on the commercial keeping, sale, and transporting of the listed plants and animals, and their intentional breeding or release.

    The aim of this new regime is to prevent or manage the introduction, or spread, of invasive non-native species across the European Union.

    In order to achieve this aim the EU Regulation requires Member States to put in place surveillance and Rapid Response mechanisms and to develop management measures for Widely Spread Species (WSS).

    A permit scheme will be in operation to allow derogations from some of these restrictions (other than their release) but only in very limited circumstances such as scientific research specifically tailored towards improvement of eradication methods.

    Northern Ireland brought into force its own corresponding legislation on the 1st December 2019 - The Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order (Northern Ireland) 2019

    DAERA are the ‘competent authority ‘for enforcing this Regulation.

    The Northern Ireland Explanatory Memorandum to the above legislation is provided for further guidance

    Listed below are those 88 species and a link through to where you can find more information about each species on the Invasive Species Northern Ireland website.


    Species of Union Concern

    Animals

     

    Scientific nameCommon nameEntry into force
    Acridotheres tristisCommon myna bird14 August 2019
    Alopochen aegyptiacusEgyptian goose02 August 2017
    Ameiurus melasBlack bullhead catfish02 August 2022
    Arthurdendyus triangulatusNew Zealand flatworm14 August 2019
    Axis axisChital/spotted deer02 August 2022
    Callosciurus erythraeusPallas's squirrel03 August 2016
    Callosciurus finlaysoniiFinlayson’s squirrel02 August 2022
    Channa argusNorthern Snakehead02 August 2022
    Corvus splendensIndian house crow03 August 2016
    Eriocheir sinensisChinese mitten crab03 August 2016
    Faxonius rusticusRusty crayfish02 August 2022
    Fundulus heteroclitusMummichog02 August 2024
    Gambusia affinisMosquitofish02 August 2022
    Gambusia holbrookiEastern Mosquitofish02 August 2022
    Herpestes javanicusSmall Asian mongoose / Javan mongoose03 August 2016
    Lampropeltis getulaCommon kingsnake02 August 2022
    Lepomis gibbosusPumpkinseed14 August 2019
    Limnoperna fotuneiGolden mussel02 August 2022
    Lithobates (Rana) catesbeianusNorth American bullfrog03 August 2016
    Morone americanaWhite Perch02 August 2022
    Muntiacus reevesiiMuntjac deer03 August 2016
    Myocastor coypusCoypu03 August 2016
    NasuaCoati03 August 2016
    Nyctereutes procyonoidesRaccoon dog02 February 2019
    Ondatra zibethicusMuskrat02 August 2017
    Orconectes limosus (Faxonius limosus)Spiny-cheek crayfish03 August 2016
    Orconectes virilis (Faxonius virilis)Virile crayfish03 August 2016
    Oxyura jamaicensisRuddy duck03 August 2016
    Pacifastacus leniusculusSignal crayfish03 August 2016
    Percottus gleniiChinese sleeper / Amur sleeper03 August 2016
    Plotosus lineatusStriped eel catfish14 August 2019
    Procambarus clarkiaRed swamp crayfish03 August 2016
    Procambarus fallax f. virginalis (Procambarus virginalis)Marbled crayfish03 August 2016
    Procyon lotorRaccoon03 August 2016
    Pseudorasbora parvaStone moroko03 August 2016
    Pycnonotus caferRed-vented bulbul02 August 2022
    Sciurus carolinensisGrey squirrel03 August 2016
    Sciurus nigerFox squirrel03 August 2016
    Solenopsis geminataTropical fire ant02 August 2022
    Solenopsis invictaRed imported fire ant02 August 2022
    Solenopsis richteriBlack fire ant02 August 2022
    Tamias sibiricusSiberian chipmunk03 August 2016
    Threskiornis aethiopicusSacred ibis03 August 2016
    Trachemys scripta spp.Red-eared terrapin03 August 2016
    Vespa velutina nigrithoraxAsian hornet03 August 2016
    Wasmannia auropunctataElectric ant02 August 2022
    Xenopus laevisAfrican clawed frog02 August 2024

    Plants

    Scientific nameCommon nameEntry into force
    Acacia saligna (Acacia cyanophylla)Golden wreath wattle14 August 2019
    Ailanthus altissimaTree of heaven14 August 2019
    Alternanthera philoxeroidesAlligator weed02 August 2017
    Andropogon virginicusBroomsedge bluestem14 August 2019
    Asclepias syriacaMilkweed02 August 2017
    Baccharis halimifoliaEastern Baccharis03 August 2016
    Cabomba carolinianaGreen cabomba03 August 2016
    Cardiospermum grandiflorumBalloon vine14 August 2019
    Celastrus orbiculatusOriental bittersweet02 August 2027
    Cortaderia jubataPurple pampas grass14 August 2019
    Ehrharta calycinaPerennial veldtgrass14 August 2019
    Eichhornia crassipesWater hyacinth03 August 2016
    Elodea nuttalliiNuttall's waterweed02 August 2017
    Gunnera tinctoriaChilean rhubarb02 August 2017
    Gymnocoronis spilanthoidesSenegal tea plant14 August 2019
    Hakea sericeaSilky hakea02 August 2022
    Heracleum persicumPersian hogweed03 August 2016
    Heracleum sosnowskyiSosnowski's hogweed03 August 2016
    Heracleum mantegazzianumGiant hogweed02 August 2017
    Humulus scandensJapanese hop14 August 2019
    Hydrocotyle ranunculoidesFloating pennywort03 August 2016
    Impatiens glanduliferaHimalayan balsam02 August 2017
    Koenigia polystachyaHimalayan knotweed02 August 2022
    Lagarosiphon majorCurly waterweed03 August 2016
    Lespedeza cuneata (Lespedeza juncea var. sericea)Chinese bushclover14 August 2019
    Ludwigia grandifloraWater primrose03 August 2016
    Ludwigia peploidesFloating primrose willow03 August 2016
    Lygodium japonicumVine-like fern14 August 2019
    Lysichiton americanusAmerican skunk cabbage03 August 2016
    Microstegium vimineumJapanese stiltgrass02 August 2017
    Myriophyllum aquaticumParrot's feather03 August 2016
    Myriophyllum heterophyllumBroadleaf watermilfoil02 August 2017
    Parthenium hysterophorusWhitetop weed03 August 2016
    Pennisetum setaceumCrimson fountaingrass02 August 2017
    Persicaria perfoliata (Polygonum perfoliatum)Asiatic tearthumb03 August 2016
    Pistia stratiotesWater lettuce02 August 2024
    Prosopis julifloraMesquite14 August 2019
    Pueraria montana var. lobata (Pueraria lobata)Kudzu vine03 August 2016
    Rugulopteryx okamuraeA brown seaweed02 August 2022
    Salvinia molesta (Salvinia adnata)Salvinia moss14 August 2019
    Triadica sebifera (Sapium sebiferum)Chinese tallow14 August 2019

    Related content

    • Invasive Alien Species Strategy (Northern Ireland)
    • Rapid Response Contingency Plans
    • Widely Spread Species Management Measures
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