Invasive Alien Species Horizon Scanning in support of implementation of Regulation 1143/2014 - Final Study Report. Prepared under Service contract 09.0201/2023/907919/SER/ENV.D2 for the European Commission.

At the core of Regulation (EU) 1143/2014 is a list of invasive alien species of Union concern. An EU-level horizon scanning for species that can be added to this list was undertaken, aiming to derive at least 100 species likely to arrive, establish, spread and have an impact on native biodiversity or ecosystem services over the next ten years. An updated methodology was put together, consisting of gathering species lists from global horizon scanning exercises and additional databases. These lists were refined, after which a rapid assessment of each species was undertaken, followed by consensus building to achieve a final list of prioritised species through an in-person workshop. This resulted in 165 species considered the most likely to enter or spread in the EU, with 57 of these presenting the highest threats to biodiversity. Possible challenges to listing species under the Regulation were identified and discussed, such as insufficient or uncertain data, management feasibility or resource constraints, and push back by different stakeholders. Finally, 49 genera and six families were identified as taxonomic groups where a high number of invasive species would call for additional policy measures to prevent their negative impact on European biodiversity.