The European Environment Agency (EEA) has pointed out that some invasive species, such as tiger mosquitoes or minks, pose a significant risk to health and economy, beyond the problems they pose for the preservation of biodiversity.

In Europe there are more than 10,000 exotic species, of which 15% are considered to have a negative ecological or economic impact, and the trend of introductions has accelerated. According to data from the EEA, these bodies produce losses of 12,000 million euros per year. An example of this is the tiger mosquito that, from Asia and linked to more than 20 diseases, has settled in southern Europe, and has transmitted several diseases, such as chikungunya fever that spread in 2007 through northern Italy. It is an example of how global warming has caused the displacement of their habitats of origin. In the case of the American mink, whose fur has been highly valued by the fur industry in Europe, it poses a significant threat to other species, in addition to the European mink itself, as it has become a direct competitor in the search for food. Another example is brook trout, introduced into Spain for recreational fishing, which has ended up causing serious damage to local species; or the bullfrog, introduced due to interest in aquaculture and gastronomic use.

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, of the 395 native European species in critical danger of extinction, 110 are in this state due to the invasion of exotic species.