The new decree of the Minister of environment, issued on 9 September 2011, imposes restrictions on 52 invasive alien species of plants and animals. Import, keeping, breeding and selling these species requires obtaining permission from the General Director for Environmental Protection. Breaking the law is subject to a fine or jail. Negligence leading to escape of animals listed in the decree may result in similar consequences.

The aim of the new regulation is to reduce the risk of introduction of the most invasive alien species that are either absent, or still restricted in their range in Poland. It will come into force in March 2012.

In 2009, the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) and the Council of Europe jointly drafted and published a European Code of conduct on horticulture and invasive alien plants. In order to assess the implementation of this Code of conduct within European and Mediterranean countries EPPO, the Council of Europe and the European Environment Agency (EEA) launched a short electronic questionnaire to gather information on this matter. The questionnaire is open for all who are interested until 31.05.2011 and it takes about 20 minutes to fill it in.

On 3.05.2010 the European Commission published a communication document on EU biodiversity strategy to 2020. Invasive alien species were identified as one of the most serious direct threats for the European nature. However, there is currently no dedicated, comprehensive EU policy to address this problem. The strategy proposes filling this gap with a dedicated EU legislative instrument which could tackle outstanding challenges relating inter alia to IAS pathways, early detection and response and containment and management of IAS. By 2012, a dedicated legislative instrument will be developed by the Commission, to fill policy gaps in combating IAS. This will contribute to achieving one of the 6 targets of the strategy: declaring that by 2020 IAS and their pathways are identified and prioritised, priority species are controlled or eradicated, and pathways are managed to prevent the introduction and establishment of new IAS.

[After Aliens-L listserver] The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has circulated the draft report of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group (AHTEG) on addressing the risks associated with introduction of alien species as pets, aquarium and terrarium species, and as live bait and live food. The AHTEG met from 16-18 February 2011, in Geneva, Switzerland. The draft includes reports from relevant conventions and organizations, including the second Inter-agency Liaison Group meeting on invasive alien species (14-15 February 2011, Geneva, Switzerland), the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The report also includes: an overview of key concepts and terms; an overview of databases and networks on invasive alien species (IAS); and main discussions and conclusions, per the AHTEG’s terms of reference. It also includes a set of recommendations to the CBD Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA). The final report will be made available to the SBSTTA for its 15th meeting, convening from 7-11 November 2011.

Comments on the draft should be submitted to the CBD Secretariat by 25 April 2011.