The European Commission (EC) will appeal to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) against six European Union (EU) countries, including Latvia, for not preventing the introduction of invasive alien species harmful to European nature, the EC informed.
On January 26, the EC decided to refer Bulgaria, Ireland, Greece, Italy, Latvia and Portugal to the ECJ for failing to implement various provisions of the regulation on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species.
Invasive alien species are plants and animals that are accidentally or deliberately introduced into an area where they are not normally found.
Invasive alien species are one of the top five causes of biodiversity loss in Europe and worldwide. These are plants and animals that, as a result of human activity, are accidentally or intentionally introduced into a natural environment where they are not normally present.
They pose a serious threat to Europe’s native plants and animals and are estimated to cost the European economy €12 billion annually. Tackling invasive species is an important aspect of the EU’s efforts to halt biodiversity loss, as set out in the European Green Deal Communication and the European Biodiversity Strategy 2030.
The regulation includes measures to be taken across the EU for invasive alien species of concern in the EU. Six Member States have not developed, implemented and communicated to the EC an action plan to prevent the most important routes of introduction and spread of invasive alien species.
