18^th Meeting of the Panel on Invasive Alien Plants

Vilnius (LT), 2013-05-07/09

The 18^th meeting of the Panel on Invasive Alien Plants took place in Vilnius (LT) on 2013-05-07/09 at the kind invitation of the Lithuanian NPPO. Mr Gudžinskas, from the Institute of Botany of Lithuania made a presentation on invasive alien plants in Lithuania and their management.

The EPPO prioritization process for invasive alien plants was adopted as a Standard in 2012 and an EPPO training course was organized on the process. The Panel used the prioritization process to assess plants on the EPPO Alert List and recommended including Asparagus asparagoides and Limnophila sessiliflora in the EPPO Observation list of invasive alien plants, and Cardiospermum grandiflorum in the EPPO List of Invasive alien plants. The Panel also discussed the study on the comparison of the prioritization process with other processes currently being undertaken, and a meeting will be held in October 2013 at the EPPO Headquarters to finalize the results for publication in the EPPO Bulletin.

The Panel validated the PRA on Baccharis halimifolia, which should be presented to the Working Party on Phytosanitary Regulations with the recommendation to include it in the EPPO A2 List of pests  recommended for regulation in 2013. The next invasive alien plant to be subject to an EPPO PRA is Parthenium hysterophorus, and the Panel recommended that National Regulatory Control Systems are prepared for both B. halimifolia and P. hysterophorus.

The Panel commented on the draft Standard on the management of invasive alien aquatic plants which is under preparation, and made several improvements with the aim that it will be adopted in 2014. The Panel also prepared a note to the Working Party on Phytosanitary Regulations stressing the importance of the work undertaken and the need for regulating invasive alien plants.