CHAPTER IIIEARLY DETECTION AND RAPID ERADICATION

Article 18Derogations from the obligation of rapid eradication

1

F1The responsible authorities, acting jointly, may, based on robust scientific evidence, decide, within two months of the detection of an invasive alien species referred to in Article 16, not to apply eradication measures if at least one of the following conditions is met:

a

eradication is demonstrated to be technically unfeasible because the eradication methods available cannot be applied in the environment where the invasive alien species is established;

b

a cost-benefit analysis demonstrates on the basis of the available data with reasonable certainty that the costs will, in the long term, be exceptionally high and disproportionate to the benefits of eradication;

c

eradication methods are not available or are available but have very serious adverse impact on human health, the environment or other species.

F2...

F32

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F33

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4

F4The appropriate authority shall ensure that containment measures are in place to avoid further spread of the invasive alien species to other F7parts of Great Britain when, pursuant to paragraph 1, no eradication measures are applied.

5

Where F5the responsible authorities decide not to make a decision referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, F6the appropriate authority shall apply the eradication measures referred to in Article 17 without delay.

6

Where the F8responsible authorities make a decision referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, the invasive alien species shall be subject to the management measures referred to in Article 19.