European Parliament
Doyle (PPE-DE ).
Mr President, I wish to draw your attention to what I term a silent invasion of Europe by an alien species,
Sciurus carolinensis
, otherwise known as the American grey squirrel. In the UK and Ireland this little creature has been responsible for devastating woodlands as well as driving out the indigenous European red squirrel –
Sciurus vulgaris
– from many areas.
This is not just an Irish or a British problem: the grey squirrel has established a firm foothold in Italy and is spreading rapidly northwards across our continent towards France, Germany and Austria, and it is bringing devastation in its wake. I jest not. I know in the major scheme of things this might seem like a detail, but we have a responsibility. The red squirrel – our European native squirrel – is now under threat through competition from a larger, more robust rival and through the destruction of its natural habitat, our deciduous woodland environment.
In spite of the rapid advance of the grey squirrel, our Commission has not carried out comprehensive research to map or to control the spread of this species. The Commission is meant to be putting together a policy on invasive alien species, but so far we have seen no sign of it. When can we in Parliament expect to receive its draft proposals for a legislative framework? Immediate concerted action at a European level is needed to reclaim our natural woodlands for the red squirrel before it is too late.

