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Invasive alien plants - EPPO Lists and documentation

EPPO, in the framework of the IPPC and the European strategy on invasive alien species (Bern Convention), is developing a cooperative Europe-wide strategy to protect the EPPO region against invasive alien plants. In 2002 an ad hoc Panel on Invasive Alien Species was created and was given the task to identify invasive plant species which may present a risk to the EPPO region, and to propose management options. The number of plants that can be considered as potential pest species is very large and the Panel is elaborating a prioritization process for all known, or potential invasive alien plants in the EPPO region. During this process the Panel is documenting invasive alien plant species on data sheets and when necessary, conducting Pest Risk Analyses (PRAs) following the EPPO Decision support scheme, 'Pest Risk Analysis for quarantine pests'. Read more about EPPO Activities on Invasive Alien Plants> As a result, the Panel has established the EPPO List of Invasive Alien Plants which can be considered as a list of priorities. Countries which are endangered by these species are strongly recommended to take measures to prevent their spread. Guidance on possible measures is given in the EPPO Standard PM 3/67 'Guidelines for the management of invasive alien plants or potentially invasive alien plants which are intended for import or have been intentionally imported'. Because several species included in the EPPO List are sometimes planted as bioenergy crops, the EPPO Council of September 2007 made a special declaration 'Plants for renewable energy and Invasive Alien Plants' to warn its member countries about this potential risk. From the EPPO List, several invasive plant species have been further studied and added to the EPPO A1/A2 Lists of pests recommended for regulation as quarantine pests. To support the prioritization work of the Panel, the EPPO Secretariat considered that an Alert List could be prepared to provide information on emerging and potential new problems. Finally, pathway analyses are regarded by National Plant Protection Organizations as a very efficient way to address the risks posed by invasive alien species. A study was recently made by the EPPO Secretariat to evaluate the risks posed by the imports of aquatic plants into the Euro-Mediterranean region.

Pictures: Frank Billeton (FR) and Sarah Brunel (EPPO)

EPPO A1/A2 Lists of pests recommended for regulation as quarantine pests

Invasive plants which have been added to the EPPO A1/A2 Lists of pests recommended for regulation as quarantine pests (as approved by EPPO Council in September 2007) are listed in the table below. The purpose of the EPPO A1/A2 Lists is to recommend that organisms of serious phytosanitary concern should be regulated as quarantine pests by EPPO member countries (A1 pests are absent from the EPPO region and A2 pests are locally present in the EPPO region). The listing of pests is based on technical justifications (i.e. PRAs since the end of the 1990s) and follows a meticulous approval procedure.

Extract concerning plant species only (for other pests view full A1/A2/Lists)

Plant name	EPPO Lists	Data sheets	Pictures	PRA documents
Crassula helmsii	A2 in 2006	Final ds	-	PRA (06-12703) - PRA rep (06-12801)
Eichhornia crassipes          [Workshop 2008]	A2 in 2008	Final ds	-	PRA (08-14407) - PRA rep (08-14408)
Heracleum persicum	A2 in 2009	Final ds	-	PRA (08-14472) - PRA rep (09-15076)
Heracleum sosnowskyi	A2 in 2009	Final ds	-	PRA (08-14471) - PRA rep (09-15075)
Hydrocotyle ranunculoides	A2 in 2005	Final ds	-	PRA (09-15108) - PRA rep (09-15161)
Ludwigia peploides & L. grandiflora	A2 in 2011	Final ds	pict	PRA (11-16827 & 11-16828) PRA rep (11-17142 & 11-17143)
Polygonum perfoliatum	A2 in 2008	draft ds	-	PRA (07-13387) - PRA rep (07-13604)
Pueraria lobata	A2 in 2006	Final ds	-	PRA (06-12701) - PRA rep (06-12802)
Solanum elaeagnifolium          [Workshop 2006]	A2 in 2006	Final ds	pict	PRA (06-12702) - PRA rep (07-13607)

Aquatic plants

EPPO List of invasive alien plants

The plants listed below have been identified by the Panel as posing an important threat to plant health, the environment and biodiversity in the EPPO region. Because a large number of Invasive Alien Plants are already present in the EPPO region, priorities were set in order to select those species considered to pose the greatest threat to species and ecosystems in the EPPO region (view criteria used). EPPO therefore strongly recommends countries endangered by these species to take measures to prevent their introduction and spread, or to manage unwanted populations (for example with publicity, restrictions on sale and planting, and controls). This List is constantly being reviewed by the Panel (new species can be added and others removed) and it is not meant to be exhaustive but to focus on the main risks.

Plant name	Draft data sheets	Pictures	PRA documents
Acacia dealbata	-	-	-
Acroptilon repens	draft ds	-	-
Ailanthus altissima	draft ds	-	-
Ambrosia artemisiifolia	draft ds	pict	PRA
Amelanchier spicata	-	-	-
Amorpha fruticosa	-	pict	-
Azolla filiculoides	-	-	-
Baccharis halimifolia	mini ds	-	-
Bidens frondosa	-	-	-
Buddleja davidii	-	pict	-
Cabomba caroliniana	draft ds	-	PRA - PRA rep
Carpobrotus acinaciformis	-	pict	-
Carpobrotus edulis	-	pict	-
Cenchrus incertus	draft ds	-	-
Cortaderia selloana	-	pict	-
Cyperus esculentus	draft ds	-	-
Egeria densa	-	-	-
Elodea nuttallii	-	-	-
Helianthus tuberosus	-	-	-
Heracleum mantegazzianum	ds	-	PRA
Impatiens glandulifera	draft ds	-	-
Lagarosiphon major	-	-	-
Lupinus polyphyllus	-	-	-
Lysichiton americanus (A2 in 2005 - deleted in 2009)	Final ds	-	PRA - PRA report
Myriophyllum aquaticum	draft ds	-	-
Oxalis pes-caprae	-	-	-
Paspalum distichum	-	-	-
Prunus serotina	draft ds	-	-
Reynoutria (Fallopia) japonica	draft ds	-	-
Reynoutria sachalinensis	-	-	-
Reynoutria x bohemica	-	-	-
Rhododendron ponticum	draft ds	-	-
Senecio inaequidens	draft ds	-	PRA
Solidago canadensis	draft ds	-	-
Solidago gigantea	draft ds	-	-

Aquatic plants

EPPO Alert List 

Species included in the Alert List have been selected by the EPPO Secretariat or proposed by EPPO member countries, because they may present a risk to the EPPO region. Most species are still of limited distribution, or absent from the EPPO region. Each addition to the EPPO Alert List is also marked by a short article in the EPPO Reporting Service. The objective of the EPPO Alert List is to provide early warning and eventually to propose candidates which may be subjected to a PRA.

Extract concerning plant species only (view full Alert List)

Plant name	Mini data sheets	Pictures	PRA documents
Akebia quinata	mini ds	-	-
Alternanthera philoxeroides	mini ds	-	-
Andropogon virginicus	mini ds	-	-
Asparagus asparagoides	mini ds	-	-
Araujia sericifera	mini ds	-	-
Cornus sericea	mini ds	-	-
Delairea odorata	mini ds	-	-
Eriochloa villosa	mini ds	-	-
Fallopia baldschuanica	mini ds	-	-
Gymnocoronis spilanthoides	mini ds	-	-
Hakea sericea	mini ds	-	-
Humulus japonicus	mini ds	-	-
Hydrilla verticillata	mini ds	-	-
Hygrophila polysperma	mini ds	-	-
Limnophila sessiliflora	mini ds	-	-
Microstegium vimineum	mini ds	-	-
Miscanthus sinensis	midi ds	-	-
Myriophyllum heterophyllum	draft ds	-	PRA
Parthenium hysterophorus	mini ds	-	-
Pennisetum setaceum	mini ds	-	-
Pistia stratiotes	mini ds	-	-
Salvinia molesta	mini ds	-	-
Sesbania punicea	mini-ds	-	-
Stipa trichotoma, S. neesiana and S. tenuissima	mini-ds	-	-
Solidago nemoralis	mini ds	-	-
Verbesina encelioides	mini-ds	-	-

Aquatic plants

Other documented plant species  

During the prioritization process, potentially invasive plants were studied but not finally retained in the EPPO Lists for different reasons (e.g. already too widespread in the EPPO region, uncertain impacts). However, it was felt useful that the data collected by the Panel could be provided here. In addition, some species were documented by the EPPO Secretariat and mini datasheets were prepared for the EPPO Reporting Service, these can also be retrieved below.

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