Italy’s Lombardy region is organising, within the framework of the LIFE Integrated Project GESTIRE 2020, a LIFE platform meeting on invasive alien species (IAS), which takes place on 29-30 November 2017 in Milan (Italy).

The GESTIRE 2020 project is an innovative and experimental project for the conservation of biodiversity in Lombardy with a special focus on preventing and halting the spread of IAS. Animals and plant species that are introduced accidentally or deliberately into a natural environment where they are not normally found can have serious negative consequences. They often lead to the decline or elimination of native species – through competition, predation or transmission of pathogens – and the disruption of local ecosystems and ecosystem functions. IAS are increasingly a major threat to native plants and animals across the world. In Europe, they cause damage worth billions of euros to the economy every year.

For this reason, IAS and their impact on the environment have been one of the key topics addressed by the LIFE programme over the years. The aim of the platform meeting is to share experiences and case studies and to evaluate future challenges and opportunities. Recommendations will be published following the platform meeting as a guide to improve the performance of LIFE projects dealing with similar issues, as a  promotion for the LIFE programme and to benefit the implementation of the EU’s regulation of IAS.

A detailed agenda will be made available from the project’s website closer to the time of the meeting.

LIFE Integrated Projects were introduced in order to be able to implement environmental legislation and goals on a wider scale and to increase the impact of the LIFE programme. They provide funding for plans, programmes and strategies developed on the regional, multi-regional or national level.

Photo credit: Jan Nijendijk