Regulations on the level of European Union

The European Parliament and the Council adopted Regulation No. 1143/2014 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species on 22 October 2014 that entered into force on 1 January 2015.

The regulation in English can be found here:

https://termeszetvedelem.hu/_user/browser/File/IAS/IAS_rendelet_1143_2014_hivatalos_angol.pdf

The regulation’s official Hungarian version can be found here:

https://termeszetvedelem.hu/_user/browser/File/IAS/IAS_rendelet_1143_2014_hivatalos_magyar.pdf

The European Commission adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1141 of 13 July 2016 adopting a list of invasive alien species of Union concern pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

The List of Invasive Alien Species of Union Concern can be found here (with Hungarian species names):

https://termeszetvedelem.hu/_user/browser/File/IAS/EU_IAS_fajlista_elfogadott_magyar_nevekkel.pdf

Hungarian aspects

The first step of the national legal harmonization process was the new law for correction in this topic entering into force on 1 January 2017. Some laws have been amended with respect to invasive alien plants.

2016. évi CXXXVII. törvény, egyes törvényeknek az idegenhonos inváziós fajok betelepítésének vagy behurcolásának és terjedésének megelőzésének és kezelésének összefüggésben történő módosításokról

The government regulation about the prevention of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species entered into force on 1 January 2017, designating the appropriate authorities.

408/2016 (XII. 13.) Korm. rendelet az idegenhonos inváziós fajok betelepítésének és behurcolásának és terjedésének megelőzéséről és kezeléséről

Introduction

The gradual expansion of the invasive species is one of the greatest threats to the natural and close-to-natural habitats nowadays. Numerous species have penetrated beyondtheir natural range and started to spread, by way of deliberate or unintentional introduction. Due to their rapid spread, they endanger native species and to the impoverishment of biodiversity and habitats. Adventive plant species take over their environment, inhibit other species’ germination and growing (overshadow, nutrition deprivation, substances released) With the native species (flora) outcompeted, the native fauna loses the base of nutrition. To determine the problems caused by invasive animal species is usually more difficult than in adventive plant species, because their impact on the natural and close-to-natural habitats is more complex. For example, some species cause problems by consuming native species or by competing with them or by hybridising with them.

NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC LIST OF THE INVASIVE SPECIES WHICH THREATEN FLORA AND FAUNA THE MOST

The basis of the list was compiled by botanists and nature conversation experts at the meeting called „The aggressive adventive species and nature conservation” held in Jósvafő, 11-13 March 1998 about the most dangerous invasive species and the Biological Invasions in Hungary; Adventive Species volumes’ lists helped.

It contains 33 terrestrial and 8 aquatic non-indigenous species which threaten the native flora and fauna in their natural habitats.

The list does not contain those species which connect with agricultural and settlement environment which have less importance from the nature conservation side; like common ragweed, marsh-elder, buttonweed and the native species which cause problems on the basis of their dynamics of spread: Phragmites, bushgrass, Rubus fruticosus.

The most dangerous terrestrial invasive species which can make huge nature conservation damage are written in bold in the text.

Terrestrial species

Acer negudno	Boxelder
Ailanthus altissima	Tree-of-heaven
Amorpha fruticosa	False Indigo (Indigobush)
Asclepias syriaca	Common Milkweed
Aster lanceolatus (contains A. tradescantii), A. novi-belgii, A. x salignus	Narrow-leaved michaelmas daisy
Celtis occidentalis	Sugarberry (common hackberry)
Cenchrus incertus	Coastal sandbur
Echinocystis lobata	Wild Cucumber
Elaeagnus angustifolia	Russian-olive
Fallopia japonica, F.×bohemica, F. sachalinensis	Japanese Knotweed, , Giant Knotweed
Fraxinus pennsylvanica	Red Ash
Helianthus tuberosus s. l. (H. decapetalus auct.)	Jerusalem Artichoke (Thin-leaved Sunflower)
Heracleum mantegazzianum	Giant hogweed
Heracleum sosnowskyi	Sosnowky’s hogweed
Hordeum jubatum	Foxtrail barley
Humulus scandens	Japanese hop
Impatiens glandulifera	Policeman’s Helmet
Impatiens parviflora	Small balsam
Juncus tenuis	Slender rush
Padus serotina	American bird cherry
Parthenocissus inserta	Virginia creeper, Victoria creeper, five-leaved ivy, five-finger
Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Virginia creeper
Phytolacca americana	American pokeweed
Phytolacca esculenta	American pokeweed
Robinia pseudoacacia	False Acacia
Rudbeckia laciniata	Green-headed Coneflower
Solidago gigantea	Giant Golden Rod
Solidago canadensis	Canadian Golden Rod
Vitis vulpina	Frost grape

 

Aquatic species

Azolla caroliniana (A. filiculoides), A. mexicana	Carolina mosquito fern, (water fern), Mexican mosquito fern
Cabomba caroliniana	Green Cabomba
Elodea canadensis	Canadian waterweed
Elodea nuttallii	Nuttall’s waterweed
Hydrocotyle ranunculoides	Water pennywort
Lemna minuta	Least duckweed
Pistia stratiotes	Water cabbage

 

Invasive animal species

This list of invasive animal species was made by the Invasion Specialist Council and the employees of the Ministry, preceded by a long data collection. A species is considered invasive only if there is proof that the species somewhere already successfully overcame an ecological barrier by intentional or unintentional introduction and became invasive in the new environment. Because of this some species did not get on the list, because it could not be decided that they spread by natural ways or with human assistance. For example, Golden jackal or the  pontocaspian Goby species. Climate change can be another factor for the change of their spreading area but the actual list does not contain these species.

The main purpose of the list is to name those species which have to be intercepted in order to protect the natural flora and fauna. So it was important to evaluate those species which pose a threat to the native communities in the Carpathian Basin. It was very complicated to decide because unlike in plants,  the fauna’s effect on the natural environment is more difficult to detect. There is no national research result for numerous species yet, therefore, the foreign literature helped mostly. Furthermore those species which cause economic or human health problems; like house mouse, black rat or many introduce ants did not get on the list as the list focuses on damage to the natural habitats. Although the latter species sometimes cause minor damage to nature, it is dwarfed by their other damages.

VERTEBRATES
MAMMALS
Ondatra zibethicus	Muskrat
Nyctereutes procyonoides	Racoon dog
Dama dama	Fallow deer
Ovis musimon	Mouflon
FISHES
Acipenser baeri
Clarias gareipinus	African sharptooth catfish
Ctenopharyngodon idella	Grass carp
Perccottus glehni	Chinese sleeper
Carassius auratus	Goldfish
Hypophthalmichtys molitrix X H. nobilis	Silver carp
Ameiurus melas	Black bullhead
Pseudorasbora parva	Stone moroko
Lepomis gibbosus	Pumpkinseed
Micropterus salmoides	Largemouth bass
Oncorhynchus mykiss	Rainbow trout
Ameiurus nebulosus	Brown bullhead
Gasterosteus aculeatus	Three-spined stickback
INVERTEBRATES
BEETLE
Harmonia axyridis	Harlequin ladybeetle
CRUSTACEA
Orconectes limosus	Spinycheek crayfish
Pacifastacus leniusculus	Signal crayfish
Eriocheir sinensis	Chinese mitten crab
MOLLUCS
Arion ater	Black slug
Helix lucorum
Helix aspersa	Garden snail
Potamopyrgus antipodarum	New Zealand mudsnail
Arion lusitanicus	Portuguese slug
Gyraulus parvus	Ash gyro
Physella acuta	European physa
Synanodonta woodiana	Chinese pond mussel
Corbicula fluminea	Asian clam
Corbicula fluminalis
Dreissena polymorpha	Zebra mussel
Dresseina bugensis	Quagga mussel

Species with red lettering are the most harmful ones.

 

SPECIES WHICH HAVE NOT SETTLED IN HUNGARY BUT POSE POTENTIAL THREATS

Invasive vertebrates

MAMMALS
Sciurus carolinensis	Eastern grey squirrel
Tamisciurus hudsonicus	American red squirrel
Castor canadensis	North American beaver
Myocastor coypus	Nutria
Procyon lotor	Raccoon
Mephitis mephitis	Striped skunk
Mustela vison	American mink
Cervus nippon	Sika deer
BIRDS
Cygnus atratus	Black swan
Branta canadensis	Canada goose
Alopochen aegyptiacus	Egyptian goose
Oxyura jamaicensis	Ruddy duck
REPTILES
Chrysemys picta	Painted turtle
Trachemys scripta elegans	Red-eared slider
AMPHIBIA
Bombina orientalis	Oriental fire-bellied toad
Rana catesbeiana	American bullfrog
FISHES
Mylopharyngodon piceus
Salvelinus fontinalis	Brook trout
Channa spp., Parachanna spp.	Snakehead fishes

Species with red lettering are the most harmful ones.

 

 

Publications:

 

Az INVÁZIÓS fajokról dióhéjban
Özönnövények 1.
Özönnövények 2.
Európai stratégia az özönfajok ellen (hungarian translation)
„Nemszeretem” halak vizeinkben (szórólap)
Özönnövények Magyarországon (plakát)
Invasive Alien Species in Hungary (leaflet)
Invasive species of aquatic habitats and wetlands in Hungary (poster)
Özönnövények visszaszorításának gyakorlati tapasztalatai
Lágyszárú Özönnövények (plakát)
Fásszárú Özönnövények (plakát)
Inváziós növényfajok Magyarországon