The Permanent Representatives Committee of the Council today (19.3.2014) approved a compromise text provisionally agreed between the Greek Presidency of the Council and the European Parliament on a draft regulation on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species. It thereby endorsed the agreement reached between the Presidency of the Council and representatives of the European Parliament on 5 March.

"The Greek Presidency worked in an efficient and speedy manner to conclude the negotiations on the complex and controversial new regulation on invasive alien species in a very short period of time. For the first time, we have a legal instrument to address the threats posed by invasive alien species, which are one of the major causes of biodiversity loss and are estimated to cause the Union economic damage of at least EUR 12 billion per year," said the president of the Council, Minister for Environment, Energy and Climate Change Ioannis Maniatis.

The regulation lays down rules to prevent, minimise and mitigate the adverse impacts of the introduction and spread, both intentional and unintentional, of invasive alien species on biodiversity, the related ecosystem services, as well as other economic and social impacts.

The agreement paves the way for the formal adoption of the new regulation. The text still needs to be formally adopted by the Parliament, whose vote in plenary is expected to take place on 15 April 2014, and by the Council, which is due to take its decision after the vote in Parliament.