TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO EU STRATEGY ON INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES (IAS) Policy options to minimise the negative impacts of invasive alien species on biodiversity in Europe and the EU Service Contract No 070307/2007/483544/MAR/B2 Clare Shine (IEEP) Marianne Kettunen (IEEP) Piero Genovesi (ISPRA) Stephan Gollasch (Go-Consult) Shyama Pagad (ISSG) Uwe Starfinger (Institut für Ökologie, Technical University of Berlin, Germany) December 2008 Citation and disclaimer This report should be quoted as follows: Shine, C., Kettunen, M., Genovesi, P., Gollasch, S., Pagad, S. & Starfinger, U. 2008. Technical support to EU strategy on invasive species (IAS) – Policy options to control the negative impacts of IAS on biodiversity in Europe and the EU (Final module report for the European Commission). Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), Brussels, Belgium. 104 pp. + Annexes. Related studies include: Shine, C., Kettunen, M., ten Brink, P., Genovesi, P. & Gollasch, S. 2009. Technical support to EU strategy on invasive species (IAS) – Recommendations on policy options to control the negative impacts of IAS on biodiversity in Europe and the EU. Final report for the European Commission. Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), Brussels, Belgium. 32 pp. Kettunen, M., Genovesi, P., Gollasch, S., Pagad, S., Starfinger, U., ten Brink, P. & Shine, C. 2009. Technical support to EU strategy on invasive species (IAS) - Assessment of the impacts of IAS in Europe and the EU. Final report for the European Commission. Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), Brussels, Belgium. 44 pp + Annexes. Shine, C., Kettunen, M., Mapendembe, A., Herkenrath, P. Silvestri, S. & ten Brink, P. 2009. Technical support to EU strategy on invasive species (IAS) – Analysis of the impacts of policy options/measures to address IAS. Final report for the European Commission. UNEP-WCMC (Cambridge) / Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), (Brussels, Belgium). 101 pp. + Annexes. The contents and views contained in this report are those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent those of the European Commission. The Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) is an independent institute with its own research programmes. Based in London and Brussels, the Institute’s major focus is the development, implementation and evaluation of EU policies of environmental significance, including agriculture, fisheries, regional development and transport. TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...................................................................................................... 4 ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................................................. 5 1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 7 1.1 Scale of the IAS problem in Europe: the need for concerted action ........................ 7 1.2 Policy challenges for the European Union in 2008..................................................... 9 2 OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF THE REPORT.......................................................... 9 3 CONTENT, METHODOLOGY AND USE OF TERMS ........................................... 10 4 UPDATED SUMMARY OF IAS POLICIES IN THE EUROPEAN UNION.......... 12 4.1 Key developments at international and regional level since 2006 .......................... 12 4.1.1 Biodiversity-related instruments............................................................................ 12 4.1.2 Instruments for protection of plant and animal health........................................... 15 4.1.3 Instruments related to transport and aviation pathways......................................... 16 4.2 Updated summary of Community legal instruments and activities ....................... 17 4.2.1 Developments in Community legislation since 2006 ............................................ 17 4.2.2 Developments in Community policies and research activities since 2006............ 23 4.2.3 IAS policy developments with regard to EU Overseas Entities ............................ 24 4.3 Updated summary of Member State legal instruments and activities ................... 26 4.3.1 Developments in national policy and legal frameworks........................................ 26 4.3.2 Member State actions on IAS threats in EU Overseas Entities ............................. 34 4.4 Progress towards addressing priority issues and filling cross-cutting gaps .......... 35 5 POLICY OPTIONS TO MINIMISE IAS IMPACTS ON BIODIVERSITY............ 42 5.1 Suggested objectives and principles for Community action on IAS....................... 42 5.2 Possible policy options for an EU framework on IAS.............................................. 43 5.2.1 Policy options for prevention................................................................................. 44 5.2.2 Policy options for early detection and rapid response ........................................... 57 5.2.3 Policy options for control and management .......................................................... 61 5.2.4 Policy options for ecosystem restoration ............................................................... 66 5.3 Cross-cutting tools for implementation..................................................................... 68 5.3.1 Risk assessment and species listing ....................................................................... 68 5.3.2 Research and information exchange ...................................................................... 73 5.3.3 Financial mechanisms............................................................................................ 76 2 5.4 Horizontal policy options............................................................................................ 83 5.4.1 Institutional and regional coordination .................................................................. 83 5.4.2 Communication, awareness and partnerships........................................................ 86 5.4.3 Accountability and compliance.............................................................................. 88 6 CONCLUSIONS: POSSIBLE POLICY PACKAGES FOR IMPACT ASSESSMENT 90 7 REFERENCES AND BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS............................................. 99 8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................... 103 ANNEXES............................................................................................................................. 103 Annex 1: Updated information on international and regional policy processes .................... 103 Annex 2: Updated information on Community instruments and activities relevant to IAS ....... 103 Annex 3: Updated information on Member State instruments and activities relevant to IAS.... 103 Annex 4: IAS frameworks in other complex jurisdictions: mechanisms used and lessons learnt.... 103 Annex 5: Review of self-financing mechanisms for ballast water management ................... 103 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report forms part of a broader study for the European Commission to provide Technical Support for the Development of an EU framework on Invasive Alien Species (IAS). Building on evidence that IAS have significant negative impacts upon Europe’s environment, key economic sectors and human well-being, it aims to identify policy measures and packages available to the Commission to minimise IAS damage to European biodiversity in an efficient and cost-effective manner. IAS have risen rapidly up the global policy agenda in the last eight years. This report analyses developments at international and EU levels to identify emerging trends, lessons learnt and remaining gaps and weaknesses that need to be addressed. Global policy supports stronger cross-sectoral coordination, economic valuation and targeted measures for introduction pathways, using science-based tools and information exchange and considering possible implications of climate change and other environmental pressures on species distributions. At EU (Community and/or Member State level), progress has been made on strategy development, species inventories, expanded capacity for risk assessment and targeted research. However, existing frameworks do not adequately protect EU biodiversity against existing and predicted risks resulting from biological invasions. Specific actions are needed to address trade-related pathways, crossborder impacts, solidarity among Member States and coordinated action in key sectors (e.g. agriculture, water, biodiversity, fisheries) that are closely integrated at EU level through the single market and common policies. The report analyses a range of concrete measures for prevention, early detection and rapid response, long-term control and management, ecosystem restoration and cross-cutting and horizontal options, following a gradient from informal to formal approaches and considering possible administrative/resource implications. It takes account of experience gained in non- EU jurisdictions and considers scope for cost-recovery mechanisms to address the currently uneven distribution of costs and benefits of IAS action. A series of alternative policy packages are proposed in the concluding chapter, ranging from non-legislative approaches through to options involving different types of new legislation. The analysis shows how component measures of these packages could be adjusted to vary the intensity of each package and makes a preliminary assessment of practicability and effectiveness