The EU Regulation (1143/2014) on invasive alien (non-native) species background;
Alien species are species that have been transported outside their natural ecological range as a result of human action. The vast majority are unable to survive in an unfamiliar environment without human intervention and eventually die off. But some species manage to adapt to their new surroundings and eventually establish themselves in the wild, where they can cause significant ecological and economic damage. These are known as Invasive Alien Species (IAS).
IAS are defined as species whose introduction and spread outside their natural ecological range poses a real threat to biodiversity and the economy. It is estimated that there are already over 12,000 alien species present in Europe, of which around 10–15% are invasive. They occur in all major taxonomic groups, ranging from mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fish, invertebrates and plants to fungi, bacteria and other micro-organisms. They are also found in every type of habitat, both on land and in the surrounding seas. All EU Member States have problems with IAS on their territory to a greater or lesser extent.
- On 14 July 2016 the European Commission published Commission Implementing Regulation 2016/1141 which set out an initial list of 37 species to which EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation 1143/2014 applies. There were further updates in 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2025. The current list now contains 114 Species of Union Concern. The corresponding Northern Ireland legislation, The Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order (Northern Ireland) 2019 came into force on 1st December 2019.
- Please note, regulation for 2 of the 26 species listed in 2025 (American mink and North American beaver) and one species from the 2022 update (Oriental bittersweet), will not enter into force until 07/08/2027 and 02/08/27 respectively. These species are marked in red below.
- All of these species have been accepted as meeting agreed criteria concerning their invasiveness and ability to establish in several Member States.
- 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, as per the Regulation.
- Listing imposes restrictions on the commercial keeping, sale, and transporting of the listed plants and animals, and their intentional breeding or release.
- 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.
The 114 Species of Union Concern Listed are;
| Plants | |
| Alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) | Japanese hop (Humulus scandens) |
| American skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus) | Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica) |
| Asiatic tearthumb (Persicaria perfoliata) | Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) |
| Balloon vine (Cardiospermum grandiflorum) | Kudzu vine (Pueraria montana var. lobata) |
| Black Wattle (Acacia mearnsii) | Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) |
| Bohemian knotweed (Reynoutria × bohemica) | Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) |
| Broadleaf watermilfoil (Myriophyllum heterophyllum) | Nuttall’s waterweed (Elodea nuttallii) |
| Broomsedge bluestem (Andropogon virginicus) | Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) |
| Brown seaweed (Rugulopteryx okamurae) | Paper Mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) |
| Cape ivy (Delairea odorata) | Parrot’s feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum) |
| Chilean rhubarb (Gunnera tinctoria) | Perennial veldtgrass (Ehrharta calycina) |
| Chinese bushclover (Lespedeza cuneata/Lespedeza juncea var sericea) | Persian hogweed (Heracleum persicum) |
| Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera/Sapium sebiferum) | Purple pampas grass (Cortaderia jubata) |
| Crimson fountaingrass (Pennisetum setaceum) | Salvinia moss (Salvinia molesta/Salvinia adnate) |
| Curly waterweed (Lagarosiphon major) | Senegal tea plant (Gymnocoronis spilanthoides) |
| Eastern baccharis (Baccharis halimifolia) | Silky hakea (Hakea sericea) |
| Floating pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides) | Sosnowsky’s hogweed (Heracleum sosnowskyi) |
| Floating primrose willow (Ludwigia peploides) | Swamp stonecrop (Crassula helmsii) |
| Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) | Tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) |
| Giant knotweed (Reynoutria sachalinensis) | Vine-like fern (Lygodium japonicum) |
| Golden wreath wattle (Acacia saligna/Acacia cyanophylla) | Water hyacinth ( Pontederia crassipes) |
| Green cabomba/Carolina fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana) | Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) |
| Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) | Water primrose (Ludwigia grandiflora) |
| Himalayan knotweed (Koenigia polystachya) | Whitetop weed (Parthenium hysterophorus) |
| Japanese eelgrass (Nanozostera japonica) | |
| Animals | |
| African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) | North American beaver (Castor canadensis) |
| American mink (Neogale vison) | North American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) |
| Amur sleeper (Percottus glenii) | Northern giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) |
| Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) | Northern Pacific seastar (Asterias amurensis) |
| Asian needle ant (Brachyponera chinensis) | Northern snakehead (Channa argus) |
| Black bullhead catfish (Ameiurus melas) | Northern weatherfish (Misgurnus bipartitus) |
| Black fire ant (Solenopsis richteri) | Obama flatworm (Obama nungara) |
| Bryant’s fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) | Oriental weatherloach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) |
| Calico crayfish (Faxonius immunis) | Pallas’s squirrel (Callosciurus erythraeus) |
| Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) | Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) |
| Chinese mystery snail (Cipangopaludina chinensis) | Raccoon (Procyon lotor) |
| Chital/spotted deer (Axis axis) | Raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) |
| Common kingsnake, including the following sub species: California kingsnake, Eastern black kingsnake, Desert kingsnake, Speckled kingsnake, Florida kingsnake, Black Desert kingsnake, Eastern Apalachicola Lowlands kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula, including the following sub species: L. getula getula, L. californiae, L. nigra L. splendida, L. holbrooki, L. floridana, L. nigrita & L. meansi.) | Red-eared, yellow bellied & Cumberland sliders (terrapin) (Trachemys scripta spp.) |
| Common myna (Acridotheres tristis) | Red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) |
| Common yabby (Cherax destructor) | Red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) |
| Coypu (Myocaster coypus) | Red-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) |
| Crested myna (Acridotheres cristatellus) | Red-whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus) |
| Dwarf surf clam (Mulinia lateralis) | Ruddy duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) |
| Eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) | Rusty crayfish (Faxonius rusticus) |
| Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiacus) | Sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) |
| Electric ant (Wasmannia auropunctata) | Shovel-headed garden worm (Bipalium kewense) |
| Finlayson’s squirrel (Callosciurus finalysonii) | Siberian chipmunk (Tamias sibiricus) |
| Giant ramshorn snail (Marisa cornuarietis) | Signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) |
| Golden Mussel (Limnoperna fortunei) | Sika deer (Cervus nippon) |
| Grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) | Small Indian mongoose (Herpestes javanaicus) |
| Indian house crow (Corvus splendens) | South American coati (Nasua nasua) |
| Marbled crayfish (Procambarus fallax) | Spiny – cheek crayfish (Orconectes limosus) |
| Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) | Striped eel catfish (Plotosus lineatus) |
| Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) | Topmouth gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva) |
| Muntjac deer (Muntiacus reevesi) | Tropical fire ant (Solenopsis geminata) |
| Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) | Virile (northern) crayfish (Orconectes virilis) |
| New Guinea flatworm (Platydemus manokwari) | White perch (Morone americana) |
| New Zealand flatworm (Arthurdendyus triangulatus) |
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Produced by the IAS Secretariat Belgium
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Updated N.I FAQs now available
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Produced by the IAS Secretariat Belgium
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Other Information and resources;
- Baseline Distribution of Invasive Alien Species of Union Concern across EU
- The Northern Ireland Explanatory Memorandum to the above legislation is provided for further guidance
- Link to Regulation (EU) 1143/2014 on Invasive Alien Species
- European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO)
- North Europe and Baltic Network on Invasive Alien Species (NOBANIS)
