4.1 Overall objective and strategic goals
The mandate from EU institutions and the identified priorities for action provide the starting point for proposing an overall objective and strategic goals. Preliminary proposals are outlined below as a basis for discussion. Operational objectives and possible implementation actions are discussed under each component in Chapter 5.
Suggested overall objective The suggested formulation:
• specifically covers ecosystem services as well as biodiversity throughout the EU;157
157 Consistent with EC 2010b. Options for an EU vision and target for biodiversity beyond 2010 (COM(2010) 4 final p9): ‘although conservation must remain a key pillar of EU biodiversity policy, any new target must factor in the role of ecosystems and ecosystem services’. It should be noted that some experts emphasise that ecosystem services are not always harmed by IAS e.g. an invasive grass or oyster can have soil or beach stabilisation functions.
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• addresses both environmental and socio-economic impacts of IAS and their possible future escalation;
• recognises the need to strike the right balance between IAS risk management and freedom of movement and trade.
Suggested overall objective
To protect EU biodiversity and ecosystem services against present and future impacts of invasive alien species and genotypes and minimise damage to our economy, human health
and wellbeing, without limiting our use of species that do not threaten such interests.
Four strategic goals are suggested to guide the formulation of Strategy components.
Strategic Goal 1: Development of risk-based prioritisation protocols for EU-level action and capacity building
This cross-cutting Goal supports a strong risk-based foundation for Strategy activities to support transparent and justifiable policy interventions and target available capacity and resources for maximum results consistent with EU policy goals.
Measures to achieve this could include:
• development of a common framework for risk assessment, building on available protocols, best practices and capacity developed for application at species, pathway and/or biogeographic level;
• categorisation of IAS risks according to EU relevance, based on robust scientific criteria that feed into sequenced management components;
• systematic consideration of biodiversity and ecosystem impacts and, where possible, socio-economic impacts linked to cost-benefit analysis;
• identifying strategic research needs and circulating research results to continually improve the knowledge base for identifying, managing and monitoring IAS risks;
• tools / capacity building adapted to the needs of e.g. the Outermost Regions.
Strategic Goal 2: A structured framework to manage pathways into, within and from the EU, focused on prevention and rapid response at the appropriate biogeographic scale This Goal supports the development of a policy continuum, based on best available scientific information, to minimise unwanted introductions and maximise opportunities to exclude or respond promptly to incursions before species become problematic.
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Measures to achieve this could include:
• addressing current gaps in taxonomic and pathway coverage, building on the knowledge base developed under Strategic Goal 1;
• threat and pathway identification and detection programmes;
• species and pathway measures to address risks associated with imports and exports, intra-EU movement and holding and releases into the natural environment;
• development of an EU Information and early warning system to support a structured approach to rapid response and provide opportunities for prompt and effective intervention;
• possible mandatory exclusion, surveillance and crisis preparedness for ‘IAS of EU concern’, based on risk assessment;
• possible adapted measures for e.g. the Outermost Regions;
• clear allocation of roles and responsibilities at each pathway stage.
Strategic Goal 3: Integrated IAS management linked to ecological restoration and ecosystem resilience, taking account of climate change as a future driver of IAS spread This Goal supports the development of a regionally coherent approach to controlling or eradicating established invasive alien species within the broader framework of EU policies.
Measures to achieve this could include:
• an integrated approach to post-hoc action for established IAS (monitoring, eradication, mitigation, restoration) based on clear criteria and feasibility of results;
• coordinated action plans at an appropriate biogeographic scale, linked to ecosystem-based approaches supported under existing EU policies;
• possible mandatory control actions for ‘IAS of EU concern’, based on risk assessment;
• targeted eradication actions for e.g. isolated islands, including the EU Outermost Regions;
• maintaining or restoring resilient ecosystems to improve adaptation capacity to climate change and continued supply of ecosystem services;
• mainstreaming IAS in relevant sector policies and in monitoring strategies linked to landscape connectivity as part of climate change adaptation.
Strategic Goal 4: EU-wide awareness, responsibility and incentives adapted to target audiences and key stakeholders, based on a partnership approach
This cross-cutting Goal supports measures to raise the profile of IAS as an EU-wide biodiversity and economic issue and to provide a framework of incentives to promote
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responsible practices and distribute the costs and benefits of IAS interventions more equitably.
Measures to achieve this could include:
• awareness-raising and communication campaigns to increase issue visibility at policy, stakeholder, industry and consumer levels;
• voluntary codes of conduct, best practice and other initiatives to support risk reduction, technical innovation and species substitution;
• market-based instruments, including development or extension of certification schemes to address key IAS pathways;
• progressive development of cost recovery and liability mechanisms, based on the polluter pays principle, linked to prevention and remediation of IAS damage;
• IAS-proofing of EU / MS policies across key sectors with clear allocation of respective responsibilities and ownership of risk;
• efficient leverage of EU funding instruments to support IAS mainstreaming across all key sectors.