Invasive alien plants in plant health – new opportunities for management in the International Year of Plant Health?

Abstract

Many invasive alien species in the sense of the Convention on Biodiversity are also plant pests as defined in the International Plant Protection Convention – and vice versa. Cooperation between the two policy fields is therefore necessary. In the European Union different regulations exist in the fields of plant health and environmental protection. While for many noxious species prevention and management measures are prescribed in one of the two regulations, some species, namely alien plants that pose a threat solely to agriculture and cultivated plants are currently not regulated to a satisfactory degree. It is hoped the increased awareness about plant health threats in the International Year of Plant Health will stimulate a better legal treatment of these plants as pests in the EU.