Many of the plants used in agriculture, horticulture and forestry in Europe are not native to the continent. A small percentage of these plants, introduced on purpose, escape the framework of cultivation, become naturalised and invade natural, semi-natural or artificial ecosystems. Others are introduced accidentally and may also end up in nature. These invasive alien plants may have significant ecological and economic consequences or become harmful to human health.This code of conduct, a result of the collaboration between the Council of Europe and the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization, is aimed at increasing co-operation among all the actors involved in horticulture, in both the public and private sectors, for the prevention of new invasions of alien plants in Europe.
Introduction
1. Characteristics of horticultural invasive alien plants
2. Pathways of introduction of invasive alien plants
3. Environmental and economic impacts
4. Botanic gardens and invasive species
5. Existing initiatives
6. The Code of Conduct - a voluntary instrument
The Code of Conduct
Audience and aims
Be aware of which species are invasive in your area
Know exactly what you are growing: ensure that material introduced into cultivation is correctly identified
Be aware of regulations concerning invasive alien plants
Work in co-operation with other stakeholders, both in the trade and the conservation and plant protection sectors
Agree which plant species are a threat and cease to stock them or make them available
Avoid using invasive or potentially alien plants in large-scale public plantings
Adopt good labelling practices
Make substitutes for invasives available
Be careful how you get rid of plant waste and dispose of unwanted stock of plants and plant-containing waste
Adopt good production practices to avoid unintentional introduction and spread
Engage in publicity and outreach activities
Take into account the increased risks of alien plant invasions due to global change
References
Appendices
Appendix 1: Definitions
Appendix 2: Examples of existing initiatives
Appendix 3: St Louis Voluntary Codes of Conduct
Appendix 4: Recommendations proposed to lessen the overall impact of invasive plant species deliberately introduced for horticulture and currently available for sale
Appendix 5: List of species considered invasive in the Euro-Mediterranean region
Appendix 6: Examples of proposals of alternative plants for the south of France
