EASIN - European Alien Species Information Network - Invasive Alien Species Regulation Implementation

An LLM-based pipeline to semi-automate the assessment of Invasive Alien Species impacts

The introduction and spread of invasive alien species (IAS) have become a significant concern worldwide, disrupting environmental balance, economic stability, and human health across various activity domains. Effective management of IAS requires a cross-sectoral approach and identification of direct and indirect effects on multiple activity domains. This study explores the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to support automatic literature reviews and to evaluate IAS impacts. The study analysed 498 IAS impacting 27 activity domains and demonstrated the potential for semi-automation to enhance efficiency, the importance of expert involvement, and the value of AI in extracting contextualized information. The study highlights the feasibility of replicating the assessment on IAS using AI-powered approaches but also emphasizes the need for careful consideration of data quality, algorithmic bias, and the role of subject matter experts in validation and refinement. While we were able to successfully replicate the analysis, the process also revealed technical limitations that should be considered when applying this approach in practice.

Vazquez Torres E, Magliozzi C, Caivano A, Cardoso AC.

GPT Scheduler: an LLM-based pipeline to semi-automate the assessment of Invasive Alien Species impacts.

Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2026, doi:10.2760/2865132

Supporting local management of invasive alien species with enriched data

The effective enforcement of the EU Regulation 1143/2014 relies on accurate, up-to-date data on the distribution and ecological traits of regulated invasive alien species (IAS).
Ailanthus altissima (Tree of Heaven) is a dioecious, wind-dispersed tree, regulated in the EU, which is widely spread in urban and peri-urban areas and natural habitats of northern Italy.
Species’ occurrence-only records are insufficient for local-level prioritisation of management actions because they omit species’ attributes such as sex, population structure, and land-ownership.
An expert-led pilot study was conducted using the JRC “Invasive Alien Species in Europe” mobile application to collect additional information beyond occurrence records.
This study evaluated the potential of expert-collected enriched data to better inform local management of A. altissima and identified the strength and limitations of this approach.
Results show that enriched data can better inform prioritization of local management actions on the target species.
The present study results are transferable to volunteer monitoring as future work.

Gervasini E, Magliozzi C, Melone B, Cardoso AC.

Supporting local management of invasive alien species with enriched data: monitoring Ailanthus altissima as a pilot study in northern Italy

Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2026, doi:10.2760/5001952

Mining EU LIFE projects management and restoration costs to prioritise actions on invasive species

Invasive alien species (IAS) pose a significant threat to European ecosystems, biodiversity, and economies, with estimated management costs amounting to €43,273,609 derived from 18 LIFE-funded projects (from 2010 to 2022). Most of these projects targeted IAS management in aquatic environments, with 82% of the total budget allocated to IAS management. Despite the efforts, challenges such as limited quantitative cost data and language barriers constrain quantification of IAS management efforts. The European Alien Species Information Network (EASIN) is working to assess IAS economic impacts, to complement scientific information and spatial data in support of policy decision-making. This study highlights the need for improving data accessibility of IAS costs by standardising data formats, to help other projects prioritize and enhance IAS management initiatives. In conclusion, by enhancing our understanding of the economic impacts of IAS, this work will inform evidence-based policy decisions, drive innovation in IAS management biosecurity, and ultimately contribute to a more competitive and sustainable Europe, where biodiversity and ecosystems are protected, and economies can thrive.

Gonzalez Ramil A, Magliozzi C, Cardoso AC, Gervasini E.

Mining EU LIFE projects management and restoration costs to prioritise actions on invasive species.

Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2026, doi:10.2760/2455224

Fostering transnational collaboration in IAS management to combat invasive alien species

The management of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) is a complex, multi-jurisdictional challenge, with prevention being the most cost-effective strategy against their negative impacts on biodiversity. The "MIAS" study aimed to enhance transnational collaboration in IAS management among EU Member States through a three-phase approach: identifying existing projects, exploring role players' perspectives, and facilitating discussions on challenges and opportunities. The study found that language barriers and limited public access to outcomes hindered the reach of competent authorities in Phase 1. Phase 2 revealed that while there is awareness of transnational collaboration, it is primarily at the academic level, with competent authorities often engaged later in the process. Phase 3 workshops confirmed gaps in protocols and action plans, and the report concludes with recommendations to leverage identified opportunities for improved IAS management

Magliozzi M, Lucrezi S, Oficialdegui FJ, Melone B, Gervasini E, Cardoso AC.

Fostering transnational collaboration in IAS management to combat invasive alien species.

Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2024, doi:10.2760/71881

Informing spatiotemporal trends of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern with biological knowledge

Over the past decade, the European Union has enacted several legislative measures to address invasive alien species (IAS), aligning efforts with the Biodiversity Strategy 2030 objectives. The transitional phase between the initial introduction of a species and its establishment in an ecosystem is challenging to detect due to limited monitoring and reporting biases. This report emphasizes the integration of spatial techniques with biological knowledge to identify hotspots of IAS establishment, aiding in prioritizing areas for management action. It provides an analysis of the current distribution of IAS of Union concern, utilizing unique, Europe-wide data from the European Alien Species Information Network (EASIN). By examining spatiotemporal trends, the report aims to support policy monitoring and implementation, identify gaps, and raise awareness about the distribution of these species.

Magliozzi C, Gervasini E, Cardoso AC.

Informing spatiotemporal trends of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern with biological knowledge.

Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2024, doi:10.2760/298316

Oriented analysis to enable prioritization of Invasive Alien Species

This report describes a horizon scanning methodological approach for identifying Invasive Alien Species (IAS) not yet present, or with a limited distribution, across the EU Member States. The selected species can be prioritized for Pest Risk Assessment and scrutinized as candidates for listing as IAS of Union concern. A brief case study is provided to support the implementation of the EU Regulation 1143/2014/EC (“IAS Regulation”) through the selection of high-risk IAS whose introduction and spread in the EU should be prevented and managed.

Czechowska K, Cardoso AC, Magliozzi C, Gervasini E.

Oriented analysis to enable prioritization of Invasive Alien Species (EU Regulation 1143/2014).

Publications Office of the European Union; 2022, EUR 31212 EN, doi:10.2760/104047

Annex 1

Annex 2

Assessment of invasive alien species of Union concern distribution

By 1 June 2019, and every six years thereafter, EU Member States (MS) shall report to the European Commission (EC) information about the implementation of the Invasive Alien Species (IAS) Regulation. This report provides an analysis of the information reported by MS on the distribution of IAS of listed as of Union concern by 2017, recorded in their territory by December 2018. This information is correlated with the information available in the JRC baselines and complemented with MS notifications submitted via NOTSYS. The report includes important recommendations to the EC and the MS on how to improve reporting, data sharing, the use of the dedicated European scientific information and notification tools (EASIN and NOTSYS) and the streamlining of data processing, which are essential for an effective implementation of the IAS Regulation.

Cardoso AC, Tsiamis K, Deriu I, D' Amico F, Gervasini E.

EU Regulation 1143/2014: assessment of invasive alien species of Union concern distribution, Member States reports vs JRC baselines.

Publications Office of the European Union; 2021, EUR 30689 EN, doi:10.2760/11150