Biodiversity loss impacts societies and economies: How can Europe confront the spread of invasive species?

Biological invasions are the main cause of biodiversity loss, but they can also have serious social and economic repercussions. In Europe, over 13,000 non-native (or "alien") species have an established presence, around 1,500 of which are invasive species that have a negative impact on their surroundings. Species of particular concern are the brown rat, raccoon, red swamp crayfish, tiger mosquito, varroa mite, ragweed, and ailanthus, among many others.