The European Commission’s LIFE programme unit and Regione Lombardia are organising, with the support of the Neemo EEIG External Team, a LIFE platform meeting on Invasive Alien Species. The event takes place in Milan, Italy on 29th and 30th November 2017, within the framework of the LIFE GESTIRE2020 (LIFE14 IPE IT 018) project.

Invasive Alien Species (IAS) and their impact to the environment are one of the key topics addressed by LIFE projects over the years, which should deserve adequate dissemination and which should act as example for the development of further ideas and proposals. The meeting will bring together LIFE projects and other organisations, to share the many experiences and case studies on this topic, assess strength and weaknesses of the LIFE programme in relation to the implementation of the EU Regulation of IAS, evaluate future challenges and opportunities, including links with other nature protection legislation and with other EU financial resources.

LIFE GESTIRE2020 is an integrated nature project aiming to implement a regional strategy for Natura 2000 and biodiversity in Lombardy. Among actions to improve the conservation status of protected habitats and species, the topic of alien species is being addressed by the project by the implementation of a Regional strategy on IAS.

Venue, Accomodation and Travel Information

Detailed program and poster of the platform meeting.

A catalogue of LIFE projects contributing to the management of alien species in the European Union

IAS Platform Meeting OutcomeParticipants’ conclusions and recommendations to the European Commission and EU Member States

Download slides of the meeting:

Regulation (EU) n.1143/2014 on Invasive Alien Species

Eradication and control of vertebrate IAS in Madeira Archipelago: a short review (Paulo Oliveira)

Eradication of Ruddy Ducks in the UK to protect the White-headed Duck (Iain Henderson)

AlterIAS – ALTERnatives to Invasive Alien Species (Pr. Arnaud Monty)

LIFEEMYS – LIFE 12 NAT/IT/000395 – Ligurian Invasive Fauna Eradication pro-indigenous Emys orbicularis restocking (Claudia Gili)

LIFE09 NAT/SE/ 000344 (2010-2013) – Management of the invasive Raccoon Dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in the north-European countries (P-A Åhlén, Fredrik Dahl)

LIFE+ BIOAQUAE: eradication of introduced fish and recovery of high mountain lakes (Actions C.1 and C.2) (R. Tiberti)

EC-SQUARE Eradication and control of grey squirrel: actions for preservation of biodiversity in forest ecosystems (Task Force LIFE EC-SQUARE)

LIFE10 NAT/IT/000239 “RARITY” – Eradicate Invasive Louisiana Red Swamp and Preserve Native white Clawed Crayfish in Friuli Venezia Giulia (Chiara Manfrin, Massimo Zanetti)

Scaling down (cliffs) to scale up to the challenge: the Shiant Isles Seabird Recovery Project – LIFE13/NAT/UK/000209

Life Projects on Alien Species in the Tuscan Archipelago (Francesca Giannini and others)

The project LIFE Puffinus Tavolara “Protection of the largest world population of Puffinus yelkouan” (Paolo Sposimo)

Life Experiences of IAS management in marine and littoral habitats in Andalucía (Soledad Vivas)

LIFE Potamo Fauna (LIFE 12 NAT/ES/001091) – The fight against aquatic invasive species (Quim Pou i Rovira)

Restoration of lentic habitats and aquatic species of Community interest in high mountains of the Pyrenees (Marc Ventura)

Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern, 1979) (Eladio Fernández-Galiano)

EASIN: European Alien Species Information Network (Ana Cristina Cardoso)

The Italian Knowledge Platform and IAS (Federico Benvenuti)

ALIENS – Italian Network LIFE and IAS (Valentina La Morgia)

LIFE GESTIRE 2020 – Nature integrated management to 2020 (Elisabetta Rossi, Paolo Colombo)

Customs and IAS

LIFE IAP-RISK – LIFE15 PRE FR 001 – Mitigating the threat of invasive alien plants to the EU through pest risk analysis to support the Regulation 1143/2014 (Dr. Rob Tanner)

ASAP: Alien Species Awareness Program – LIFE15 GIE/IT7001039 (Piero Genovesi)

LIFE ARTEMIS – Awareness Raising, Training and Measures on Invasive alien Species in forests (LIFE15 GIE/SI/000770) (Maarten de Groot)

Conservation of priority natural values in Turjánvidék Natura 2000 site southern unit – LIFE+ Nature project (LIFE10NAT/HU/000020) (Annamária Csóka)

LIFE14 NAT/ES/000699 – Green Belt of Bay of Santander: connecting nature and city (Antonio Urchaga Fernández)

Entomological surveillance in the points of entry – LIFE CONOPS data (Dr Antonios Michaelakis)

The first LIFE about Invasive Alien Species in France: LIFE CROAA (LIFE15 NAT/FR/000864) (Christophe Eggert, Myriam Labadesse)

34_Spatial containment of Vespa velutina in Italy and establishment of an Early Warning and Rapid Response System

Mapping and fighting Rosa rugosa

36_Rat eradication an effective way to improve nesting habitats for the Eleonora’s Falcon and seabirds

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