A new European regulation on invasive alien species and its importance for forestry

On 16 April 2014 the European Parliament has adopted a proposal for a regulation that will force Member States to put in place measures for the control and management of invasive alien species. The definition of invasive alien species given by the proposal, and the frequency with which the alien tree species are cited by explanatory statements and discussion papers, leaves no doubt about the fact that even alien tree species widespread in Italy, such as black locust, could be included in the list of species for which it will be mandatory to put in place regulatory measures. For this reason it is essential that authorities, academies, research institutions and stakeholders take steps to be ready to give a correct interpretation of the regulation and facilitate its effective application on the Italian territory, for the sake of forestry in the whole Europe. The contribution presents the main features of the proposed regulation, it emphasizes the elements of interest for forestry and proposes some lines of research that could help to define the state of risk of the most sensitive ecosystems and to better define the role that forestry should have in controlling this risk.