Reporting and review
1. By 1 June 2019, and every six years thereafter, Member States shall update and transmit to the Commission the following:
(a)
a description, or an updated version thereof, of the surveillance system pursuant to Article 14 and of the official control system on alien species entering the Union pursuant to Article 15;
(b)
the distribution of the invasive alien species of Union concern or regional concern in accordance with Article 11(2) present in their territory, including information regarding migratory or reproductive patterns;
(c)
information about the species considered as invasive alien species of Member State concern pursuant to Article 12(2);
(d)
the action plans referred to in Article 13(2);
(e)
aggregated information covering the entire national territory on the eradication measures taken in accordance with Article 17, the management measures undertaken in accordance with Article 19, their effectiveness, and their impact on non-targeted species;
(f)
the number of the permits referred to in Article 8 and the purpose for which they were issued;
(g)
measures taken to inform the public about the presence of an invasive alien species and any actions that citizens have been requested to take;
(h)
the inspections required under Article 8(8); and
(i)
information on the cost of action undertaken to comply with this Regulation, when available.
2. By 5 November 2015, Member States shall notify the Commission and inform the other Member States of the competent authorities in charge of applying this Regulation.
3. By 1 June 2021, the Commission shall review the application of this Regulation including the Union list, the action plans referred to in Article 13(2), the surveillance system, customs controls, eradication obligation and management obligations, and submit a report to the European Parliament and to the Council, which may be accompanied by legislative proposals for the amendment of this Regulation, including changes to the Union list. That review shall also examine the effectiveness of the implementing provisions on invasive alien species of regional concern, the need for and the feasibility of, including species native to the Union in the Union list and whether further harmonisation is needed to increase the effectiveness of the action plans and measures undertaken by the Member States.
4. The Commission shall, by means of implementing acts, specify the technical formats for reporting in order to simplify and streamline reporting obligations for the Member States in relation to the information pursuant to paragraph 1 of this Article. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 27(2).
Information support system
1. The Commission shall progressively establish an information support system necessary to facilitate the application of this Regulation.
2. By 2 January 2016 that system shall include a data support mechanism interconnecting existing data systems on invasive alien species, paying particular attention to information on the invasive alien species of Union concern, so as to facilitate the reporting pursuant to Article 24.
The data support mechanism referred to in the first subparagraph shall become a tool to assist the Commission and the Member States in handling the relevant notifications required by Article 16(2).
3. By 2 January 2019, the data support mechanism referred to in paragraph 2 shall become a mechanism for exchanging information on other aspects of the application of this Regulation.
It may also include information on invasive alien species of Member State concern, and on pathways, risk assessment, management and eradication measures, when available.
Public participation
Where action plans are being established pursuant to Article 13 of this Regulation and where management measures are put in place pursuant to Article 19 of this Regulation, Member States shall ensure that the public is given early and effective opportunities to participate in their preparation, modification or review, using the arrangements already determined by the Member States in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 2(3) of Directive 2003/35/EC.
Committee
1. The Commission shall be assisted by a committee. That committee shall be a committee within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 and may be assisted in its tasks by the scientific forum referred to in Article 28.
2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply.
3. Where the committee delivers no opinion, the Commission shall not adopt the draft implementing act and the third subparagraph of Article 5(4) of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply.
Scientific forum
The Commission shall ensure the participation of representatives of the scientific community appointed by the Member States in providing advice on any scientific question related to the application of this Regulation, in particular as regards Articles 4, 5, 10 and 18. Those representatives shall meet in a scientific forum. The rules of procedure of that forum shall be established by the Commission.
Exercise of the delegation
1. The power to adopt delegated acts is conferred on the Commission subject to the conditions laid down in this Article.
2. The power to adopt delegated acts referred to in Article 5(3) shall be conferred on the Commission for a period of five years from 1 January 2015. The Commission shall draw up a report in respect of the delegation of power not later than nine months before the end of the five-year period. The delegation of power shall be tacitly extended for periods of an identical duration unless the European Parliament or the Council opposes such extension not later than three months before the end of each period.
3. The delegation of power referred to in Article 5(3) may be revoked at any time by the European Parliament or by the Council. A decision to revoke shall put an end to the delegation of the power specified in that decision. It shall take effect the day following the publication of the decision in the Official Journal of the European Union or at a later date specified therein. It shall not affect the validity of any delegated act already in force.
4. As soon as it adopts a delegated act, the Commission shall notify it simultaneously to the European Parliament and to the Council.
5. A delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 5(3) shall enter into force only if no objection has been expressed either by the European Parliament or the Council within a period of two months of notification of that act to the European Parliament and the Council or if, before the expiry period, the European Parliament and the Council have both informed the Commission that they will not object. That period shall be extended by two months at the initiative of the European Parliament or of the Council.
Penalties
1. Member States shall lay down the provisions on penalties applicable to infringements of this Regulation. Member States shall take all the necessary measures to ensure that they are applied.
2. The penalties provided for shall be effective, proportionate and dissuasive.
3. The penalties provided may include, inter alia:
(a)
fines;
(b)
seizure of the non-compliant invasive alien species of Union concern;
(c)
immediate suspension or withdrawal of a permit issued in accordance with Article 8.
4. By 2 January 2016, Member States shall communicate to the Commission the provisions referred to in paragraph 1, and any subsequent amendments without delay.
Transitional provisions for non-commercial owners
1. By way of derogation from points (b) and (d) of Article 7(1), owners of companion animals not kept for commercial purposes that belong to the invasive alien species included on the Union list shall be allowed to keep them until the end of the animals' natural life, provided the following conditions are met:
(a)
the animals were kept before their inclusion on the Union list;
(b)
the animals are kept in contained holding and all appropriate measures are put in place to ensure that reproduction or escape are not possible.
2. Competent authorities shall take all reasonable steps to inform non-commercial owners of the risks posed by keeping the animals referred to in paragraph 1 and of the measures to be taken to minimise the risk of reproducing and escaping through awareness-raising and education programmes organised by Member States.
3. Non-commercial owners who cannot ensure that the conditions set out in paragraph 1 are met, shall not be permitted to keep the animals concerned. Member States may offer them the possibility of having their animals taken from them. Where this occurs, due regard to animal welfare shall be given.
4. The animals referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article may be kept by the establishments referred to in Article 8 or in facilities established by Member States for that purpose.
Transitional provisions for commercial stocks
1. Keepers of a commercial stock of specimens of invasive alien species acquired before their inclusion on the Union list shall be allowed up to two years after inclusion of the species on that list to keep and transport live specimens or reproducible parts of those species in order to sell or transfer them to the research or ex-situ conservation establishments and for the purposes of medicinal activities referred to in Article 8, provided that the specimens are kept and transported in contained holding and all appropriate measures are put in place to ensure that reproduction or escape are not possible; or in order to slaughter or humanely cull those specimens to exhaust their stock.
2. The sale or transfer of live specimens to non-commercial users shall be allowed for one year after inclusion of the species on the Union list provided that the specimens are kept and transported in contained holding and all appropriate measures are put in place to ensure that reproduction or escape are not possible.
3. Where a permit has been issued in accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 708/2007 for an aquaculture species that is subsequently included on the Union list, and the duration of the permit exceeds the period referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, the Member State shall withdraw the permit in accordance with Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 708/2007 by the end of the period referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article.
Entry into force
This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 January 2015.
Source: EUR-Lex (Publications Office of the EU), © European Union, reuse permitted under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.
