On the 31st of March 2021, NECCA organized the 5th Regional Stakeholders' Meeting in Greece. The meeting was held as on-line event, lasted about 3 hours and was attended by 71 stakeholders, representing public authorities, management bodies of protected areas, universities/research centres, environmental NGOs and hunters' and fishers' associations. The subject of this meeting was the implementation of the EU directives regarding IAS. Following two introductory presentations on the latest international and European developments on IAS and on the legislative framework for IAS in the INVALIS partners' countries, the participants focused on the draft of a Joint Ministerial Decision for implementing the Regulation (EU) No. 1143/2014 on IAS in Greece. The JMD draft was presented in detail and various stakeholders expressed their views regarding problems that might arise during its implementation and possible improvements, which will be considered by the Ministry of Environment and Energy before its finalisation. The meeting concluded by stressing that the JMD will only be the first step, providing the legislative framework for a series of measures and actions, with which the problem of IAS management in Greece will be addressed.
