81
Article 8(h) of CBD and contributes extensively to knowledge and awareness of
invasive species through the development of a range of products and publications,
including the ‘Global Strategy on Invasive Alien Species’ and ‘Invasive Alien
Species: A Toolkit of Best Prevention and Management Practices’.
The importance of ballast waters as a vector through which IAS is transported
has been pointed out by many authors. Ship traffi c is recognised as the most important vector introducing new organisms into marine ecosystems , especially so in the
Baltic Sea (e.g. Carlton and Geller 1993 ; Carlton 1996 ; David and Gollasch 2008 ;
Leppakoski et al. 2002 ; Pikkarainen 2010 ; Shine et al. 2010 ). Ship traffi c is mainly
addressed in regulations and policies dealing with IAS problems in aquatic environments. Before Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 on invasive alien species
6 entered
into force in January 2015, there had been no consistent and binding legal act or
other comprehensive instrument to solve the marine IAS problem in the European
Union. However, it should be said that other existing EU legislation and policies do
provide some, albeit partial, solutions.
7 Descriptor 2 of Annex I to the EU Marine
Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) among others specifi es that by 2020 ‘nonindigenous species introduced by human activities are at levels that do not adversely
alter the ecosystems’ (EC 2011 ). Here, the objective is to keep IAS populations at a
level that does not disturb the ecosystem. However, due to the lack of knowledge, it
is often impossible to know when exactly a particular species will signifi cantly alter
the ecosystem structure and function.
The EU Communication on ‘Our life insurance, our natural capital: an EU biodiversity strategy to 2020 ’ (COM(2011)244),
8 tabled by the European Commission
in 2011, and then followed up by a resolution on the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy
adopted by the European Parliament in 2012, set a specifi c target to address the
issue of IAS and proposed the preparation of a dedicated legislative instrument to
tackle the problem (EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 ). In September 2013, a new
proposal for a regulation on the prevention and management of IAS was issued by
the European Commission .
9 This proposal aimed at solving the problem by establishing a framework for action to prevent, minimise and mitigate the negative
effects of IAS on biodiversity and ecosystem services . The document underlined
the need for coordinated action and prepared a list of species of special concern to
the European Union. It also put forward the need for increasing preventive measures
6 Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October
2014 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species.
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32014R1143&from=EN
7 Among others: Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU – Lisbon Treaty), Sixth
Environmental Action Programme (2001–2010), Decision 1600/2002/EC, Council Regulation No
1198/2006 on the European Fisheries Found (OJ L 223, 15.08.2006), Marine Strategy Framework
Directive 2008/56/EC (MSFD), Council Regulation No 708/2007 concerning use of alien and
locally absent species in aquaculture (OJ L 168 of 28.06.07).
8 Communication from the commission to the European Parliament, the council, the economic and
social committee and the committee of the regions (COM 2011) http://ec.europa.eu/environment/
nature/biodiversity/comm2006/pdf/2020/1_EN_ACT_part1_v7%5B1%5D.pdf
9 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52013PC0620&from=EN
4 Biological Invasions: A Case Study of Baltic Sea Environmental Governance
Article 8(h) of CBD and contributes extensively to knowledge and awareness of
invasive species through the development of a range of products and publications,
including the ‘Global Strategy on Invasive Alien Species’ and ‘Invasive Alien
Species: A Toolkit of Best Prevention and Management Practices’.
The importance of ballast waters as a vector through which IAS is transported
has been pointed out by many authors. Ship traffi c is recognised as the most important vector introducing new organisms into marine ecosystems , especially so in the
Baltic Sea (e.g. Carlton and Geller 1993 ; Carlton 1996 ; David and Gollasch 2008 ;
Leppakoski et al. 2002 ; Pikkarainen 2010 ; Shine et al. 2010 ). Ship traffi c is mainly
addressed in regulations and policies dealing with IAS problems in aquatic environments. Before Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 on invasive alien species
6 entered
into force in January 2015, there had been no consistent and binding legal act or
other comprehensive instrument to solve the marine IAS problem in the European
Union. However, it should be said that other existing EU legislation and policies do
provide some, albeit partial, solutions.
7 Descriptor 2 of Annex I to the EU Marine
Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) among others specifi es that by 2020 ‘nonindigenous species introduced by human activities are at levels that do not adversely
alter the ecosystems’ (EC 2011 ). Here, the objective is to keep IAS populations at a
level that does not disturb the ecosystem. However, due to the lack of knowledge, it
is often impossible to know when exactly a particular species will signifi cantly alter
the ecosystem structure and function.
The EU Communication on ‘Our life insurance, our natural capital: an EU biodiversity strategy to 2020 ’ (COM(2011)244),
8 tabled by the European Commission
in 2011, and then followed up by a resolution on the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy
adopted by the European Parliament in 2012, set a specifi c target to address the
issue of IAS and proposed the preparation of a dedicated legislative instrument to
tackle the problem (EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 ). In September 2013, a new
proposal for a regulation on the prevention and management of IAS was issued by
the European Commission .
9 This proposal aimed at solving the problem by establishing a framework for action to prevent, minimise and mitigate the negative
effects of IAS on biodiversity and ecosystem services . The document underlined
the need for coordinated action and prepared a list of species of special concern to
the European Union. It also put forward the need for increasing preventive measures
6 Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October
2014 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species.
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32014R1143&from=EN
7 Among others: Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU – Lisbon Treaty), Sixth
Environmental Action Programme (2001–2010), Decision 1600/2002/EC, Council Regulation No
1198/2006 on the European Fisheries Found (OJ L 223, 15.08.2006), Marine Strategy Framework
Directive 2008/56/EC (MSFD), Council Regulation No 708/2007 concerning use of alien and
locally absent species in aquaculture (OJ L 168 of 28.06.07).
8 Communication from the commission to the European Parliament, the council, the economic and
social committee and the committee of the regions (COM 2011) http://ec.europa.eu/environment/
nature/biodiversity/comm2006/pdf/2020/1_EN_ACT_part1_v7%5B1%5D.pdf
9 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52013PC0620&from=EN
4 Biological Invasions: A Case Study of Baltic Sea Environmental Governance