Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1422 of 17 July 2025 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1141 to update the list of invasive alien species of Union concern

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to 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 ¹, and in particular Article 4(1) and (2) thereof,

Whereas:

• (1) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1141 ² establishes a list of invasive alien species of Union concern (‘the Union list’), which is to be kept updated as appropriate, in accordance with Article 4(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014.

• (2) On the basis of the available evidence and the risk assessments carried out pursuant to Article 5(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014, it has been concluded that all criteria set out in Article 4(3) of that Regulation are met for the following invasive alien species: Acacia mearnsii [as ‘mearnsi’] De Wild., Pl. Bequaert. 3: 61 (1925), Acridotheres cristatellus (Linnaeus, 1758), Asterias amurensis Lutken, 1871, Bipalium kewense Moseley, 1868, Brachyponera chinensis (Emery, 1895), Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) L'Hér ex Vent., Castor canadensis Kuhl, 1820, Cervus nippon Temminck, 1838, Cherax destructor Clark, 1936, Cipangopaludina chinensis (Gray 1834), Crassula helmsii (Kirk) Cockayne, Delairea odorata Lem, Faxonius immunis (Hagen, 1870), Marisa cornuarietis (Linnaeus 1758), Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (Cantor, 1842), Misgurnus bipartitus (Sauvage & Dabry de Thiersant, 1874), Mulinia lateralis (Say, 1822), Nanozostera japonica (Ascherson & Graebner) Tomlinson & Posluszny, 2001, Neogale vison (Schreber, 1777), Obama nungara Carbayo, Álvarez-Presas, Jones & Riutort, 2016, Platydemus manokwari de Beauchamp, 1963, Pycnonotus jocosus (Linnaeus, 1758), Reynoutria japonica Houtt., Reynoutria sachalinensis (F. Schmidt) Nakai, Reynoutria × bohemica Chrtek & Chrtková and Vespa mandarinia Smith, 1852.

• (3) For all the invasive alien species referred to in recital 2, all the elements set out in Article 4(6) of Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 have been duly considered.

• (4) As a result of widely accepted changes to the nomenclatural references of four invasive alien species of Union concern, it is necessary to change the names or other elements of the full nomenclature for the following invasive alien species listed in the Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1141: Eichhornia crassipes, Hakea sericea, Pennisetum setaceum, Tamias sibiricus.

• (5) Considering the evolving taxonomy of the invasive species Lampropeltis getula, it is necessary to reiterate and clarify the scope as defined in the original risk assessment underpinning its inclusion on the Union list. This risk assessment employs the reference ‘sensu lato’ to comprehensively encompass the species in its broader taxonomic sense. To address potential taxonomic developments and ensure robust regulatory coverage, the concerned subspecies should be explicitly mentioned.

• (6) Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1141 should therefore be amended accordingly.

• (7) The species Neogale vison (Schreber, 1777) is farmed for fur production in several Member States. Insofar as Member States may have to prepare applications for the authorisations referred to in Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014, the inclusion of that species on the Union list should be deferred in order to give Member States time to prepare such applications before the listing of the species takes effect.

• (8) Management of the invasive alien species Castor canadensis Kuhl, 1820, poses significant challenges in areas where the native beaver Castor fiber ³ is also present because of the similarities between the two species. Therefore, the inclusion of Castor canadensis on the Union list should be deferred in order to give Member States time to adapt specific management measures and national legislation, where relevant, before the listing of Castor canadensis Kuhl, 1820, takes effect.

• (9) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the committee established by Article 27(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1141 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Point (2) of the Annex shall apply from 7 August 2027.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 17 July 2025.

For the Commission

The President

Ursula VON DER LEYEN

ANNEX

The table in the Annex to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1141 is amended as follows:

• (1) each of the following species are inserted in alphabetical order:

• (2) in the table, the following species are inserted in alphabetical order:

• (3) ‘Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms’ is replaced by ‘Pontederia crassipes Mart’;

• (4) ‘Hakea sericea Schrad. & J.C.Wendl.’ is replaced by ‘Hakea sericea Schrad. & J.C.Wendl. s.l.’;

• (5) in the row for Lampropeltis getula (Linnaeus, 1766), table note ‘(16)’ is added in column (iv);

• (6) ‘Pennisetum setaceum (Forssk.) Chiov.’ is replaced by ‘Cenchrus setaceus (Forssk.) Morrone (Pennisetum setaceum (Forssk.) Chiov.)’;

• (7) ‘Tamias sibiricus Laxmann, 1769’ is replaced by ‘Tamias sibiricus Laxmann, 1769 (Eutamias sibiricus (Laxmann, 1769))’;

• (8) in the notes to the table for column (iv), the following point is added:

• ‘(16) Lampropeltis getula (Linnaeus, 1766) refers to the following species or subspecies: L. getula getula (“the common kingsnake”); L. californiae (“the California kingsnake”); L. nigra (“the Eastern black kingsnake”); L. splendida (“the desert kingsnake”); L. holbrooki (“the speckled kingsnake”); L. floridana (“the Florida kingsnake”); L. nigrita (“the Black Desert kingsnake”); L. meansi (“the Eastern Apalachicola Lowlands kingsnake”).’

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/1422/oj

ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)