Aligning EU policies to address biological invasions: assessing invasion impacts across sectors

Abstract

Invasive alien species (IAS) affect various policy sectors, including environment, trade, and agriculture. In Europe, each of these sectors is usually regulated under different European Union legislation, but IAS is not prioritised in most sectors, and this may hinder effective tackling of biological invasions. Greater policy coherence is needed to align relevant sectors for better management of biological invasions. Engaging policymakers by sharing information on IAS impacts can help them understand the multisectoral nature of the problem and develop effective strategies. We reviewed 602 IAS in Europe, impacting nine policy sectors and 25 domains (i.e. specific policies within a broader policy sector, each addressing particular issues and activities related to that sector portfolio). Findings were presented at the NeoBiota workshop in Lisbon on the 3 rd of September 2024, attended by 54 participants, including policymakers and researchers. The workshop featured presentations and interactive sessions where participants tested the review methodology on 49 species, identifying areas for improvement, such as assessing impact scale and refining sector domains. Confusion matrices showed moderate to substantial agreement between organisers and participants in evaluating affected domains, types of impact, and confidence levels. This study shows the crucial need for interaction and synergy between research and policy, which are essential for tackling effectively IAS in Europe.