Mapping the patchy legislative landscape of non-native tree species in Europe
Journal
Forestry An International Journal of Forest Research
Date Issued
2020-06-03
Author(s)
Elisabeth Pötzelsberger, Katharina Lapin, Giuseppe Brundu, Tim Adriaens, Vlatko Andonovski, Sinisa Andrasev, Jean-Charles Bastien, Robert Brus, Milic Curovic, Zeljka Curovic, Branislav Cvjetkovic, Martina Ðodan, Juan M. Domingo-Santos, Anna Gazda, Jean-Marc Henin, Cornelia Hernea, Bo Karlsson, Ljiljana Keca, Srdjan Keren, Zsolt Keseru, Thomai Konstantara, Johan Kroon, Nicola La Porta, Vasyl Lavnyy, Dagnija Lazdina, Aljona Lukjanova, Tiit Maaten, Palle Madsen, Dejan Mandjukovski, Francisco J. Marín Pageo, Vitas Marozas, Antonin Martinik, William L. Mason, Frits Mohren, Maria Cristina Monteverdi, Charalambos Neophytou, Pat Neville, Valeriu-Norocel Nicolescu, Per Holm Nygaard, Christophe Orazio, Taras Parpan, Sanja Peri´c, Krasimira Petkova, Emil Borissov Popov, Mick Power, Károly Rédei, Matti Rousi, Joaquim S. Silva, Ahmet Sivacio˘glu, Michalis Socratous, Lina Straigyt˙e, Josef Urban, Kris Vandekerkhove, Radosław Wąsik, Marjana Westergren, Thomas Wohlgemuth, Tiina Ylioja, Hubert Hasenauer
DOI
10.1093/forestry/cpaa009
Abstract
Europe has a history rich in examples of successful and problematic introductions of trees with a native origin
outside of Europe (non-native trees, NNT). Many international legal frameworks such as treaties and conventions
and also the European Union have responded to the global concern about potential negative impacts of NNT
that may become invasive in natural ecosystems. It is, however, national and regional legislation in particular
that affects current and future management decisions in the forest sector and shapes the landscapes of Europe.
We identified all relevant legal instruments regulating NNT, the different legal approaches and the regulatory
intensity in 40 European countries (no microstates). Information on hard and effective soft law instruments
were collected by means of a targeted questionnaire and consultation of international and national legislation
information systems and databases. In total, 335 relevant legal instruments were in place in June/July 2019
to regulate the use of NNT in the investigated 116 geopolitical legal units (countries as well as sub-national
regions with their own legislation). Countries and regions were empirically categorized according to ad hocdefined
legislation indicators. These indicators pay respect to the general bans on the introduction of non-native
species, the generally allowed and prohibited NNT, approval mechanisms and specific areas or cases where NNT
are restricted or prohibited. Our study revealed a very diverse landscape of legal frameworks across Europe, with
a large variety of approaches to regulating NNT being pursued and the intensity of restriction ranging from very
few restrictions on species choice and plantation surface area to the complete banning of NNT from forests. The
main conclusion is that there is a clear need for more co-ordinated, science-based policies both at the local and
international levels to enhance the advantages of NNT and mitigate potential negative effects.
outside of Europe (non-native trees, NNT). Many international legal frameworks such as treaties and conventions
and also the European Union have responded to the global concern about potential negative impacts of NNT
that may become invasive in natural ecosystems. It is, however, national and regional legislation in particular
that affects current and future management decisions in the forest sector and shapes the landscapes of Europe.
We identified all relevant legal instruments regulating NNT, the different legal approaches and the regulatory
intensity in 40 European countries (no microstates). Information on hard and effective soft law instruments
were collected by means of a targeted questionnaire and consultation of international and national legislation
information systems and databases. In total, 335 relevant legal instruments were in place in June/July 2019
to regulate the use of NNT in the investigated 116 geopolitical legal units (countries as well as sub-national
regions with their own legislation). Countries and regions were empirically categorized according to ad hocdefined
legislation indicators. These indicators pay respect to the general bans on the introduction of non-native
species, the generally allowed and prohibited NNT, approval mechanisms and specific areas or cases where NNT
are restricted or prohibited. Our study revealed a very diverse landscape of legal frameworks across Europe, with
a large variety of approaches to regulating NNT being pursued and the intensity of restriction ranging from very
few restrictions on species choice and plantation surface area to the complete banning of NNT from forests. The
main conclusion is that there is a clear need for more co-ordinated, science-based policies both at the local and
international levels to enhance the advantages of NNT and mitigate potential negative effects.
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