Genovesi, P. (2010) European biofuel policies may increase biological invasions: the risk of inertia. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 3 (1-2), 66-70
The European Union has agreed particularly ambitious targets in terms of renewable energy, that will probably promote a dramatic increase in the use of biofuels. This expansion may cause several direct and indirect undesired effects on biodiversity, including an increase in the introduction of invasive alien species into the region. This expected effect, together with the lack of a regional biosecurity policy and the limited level of screening and inspection protocols applied at the EU border, may cause a further increase in the negative effects biological invasions are causing to the ecosystems of Europe. It is therefore crucial that the EU authorities develop a more stringent framework to regulate the introduction and use of non-food non-feed crops, including a system of early warning and rapid response to combat the establishment of unwanted weedy plants, as well as new alien pests.
per informazioni/approfondimenti: Piero Genovesi
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