engleski

Legal framework for invasive alien species in Croatia

The issue of alien species in the legislation of the Republic of Croatia, due to its complexity, is under the competence of several sectors and is governed by different regulations in the field of environmental and nature protection, forestry, agriculture, hunting, fishing, water management, maritime affairs. Although there is no legislative framework for tackling IAS comprehensively, the important legislation dealing with IAS in Croatia is Nature Protection Act (Official Gazette No. 80/2013) which is the main act related to the introduction of alien species into the nature and their possible impact on biodiversity. The Act prescribes a preventive measure that bans import, placing on the market, breeding/cultivation and introduction into the nature of alien species that pose ecological risk and are potentially invasive. According to the Act the list of alien species whose import and placement on the market will be prohibited (“Black list”) and the list of species whose import and placing on the market will be permitted without restrictions (“White list”) are being developed and they will be prescribed by the new Ordinance. In case of accidental introduction into the nature of alien species, the Act envisions that the competent authority can order measures for removal or prevention of further spread of introduced alien species. Since the new Regulation on IAS at EU level (No 1143/2014) entered into the force at the beginning of the year 2015, in order to incorporate the provisions of the Regulation into the Croatian legislation and to comprehensively regulate extensive and specific IAS issues, it was decided to single out the issue of IAS from the existing Nature Protection Act into the separate Act on IAS. The new Act, whose draft is already prepared, will, apart from the regulation of placing on the market, breeding/cultivation and introduction of alien species into the nature, also regulate the issue of risk assessments, determine the alien species of concern for the Republic of Croatia, define detailed management system of IAS, determine the competent authorities and their tasks, prescribe adequate penalty provisions, etc.

invasive alien species; legislation; nature protection; EU Regulation

nije evidentirano