Species of Union Concern

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.

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)

 

Invasive Species Northern Ireland

Invasive Species Northern Ireland