The application of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development is intended for the interested public. The main goal of the application is to develop a network of amateur researchers in the field who will report and share the findings of alien and invasive alien species in Croatia (so-called "citizen science") and thus contribute to the mapping of alien and invasive alien species and the early detection of new invasive alien species in Croatia.

The goals of the mobile application are as follows:

Collect sightings of invasive alien species using mobile GPS and citizen cameras/cameras.
Provide information on a selected number of invasive alien species (photo of the species, short description of the species, additional useful information).
To make citizens aware of the problem of invasive alien species and to encourage them to actively get involved in the management of invasive alien species in Croatia.

At the global level, along with habitat loss, direct exploitation of wild species, climate change and pollution, invasive alien species are one of the most important direct threats to biodiversity. With globalization and the growth of world trade, economy and tourism, the number of foreign and invasive alien species is growing all over the world, including Croatia. More than 600 foreign species of plants and about 300 foreign species of animals have been recorded in the nature of Croatia so far, and fungi and other types of organisms have also been introduced. Although a large number of foreign species were introduced into Croatia intentionally (for the purposes of forestry, agriculture, hunting, fishing, horticulture, etc.), some of them entered the nature of Croatia by accident, as stowaways, through contamination or spread through natural routes or corridors from neighboring countries in which they had previously successfully settled. The current database of alien and invasive alien species at the level of the European Union (EASIN) contains data on more than 14,000 alien species in Europe, of which about 10 to 15% are invasive.

Predation, competition for food and habitat, disease transmission, hybridization with native species and changes in the structure and functioning of ecosystems are just some of the direct threats that invasive alien species pose to biodiversity and ecosystem services.

The Law on Prevention of the Introduction and Spread of Foreign and Invasive Alien Species and Their Management (Official Gazette 15/18 and 14/19) regulates the issue of prevention of the introduction and spread and management of invasive alien species that cause concern in the European Union and alien species, including invasive aliens species of concern in the Republic of Croatia, in order to prevent or mitigate their adverse impact on biodiversity, ecosystem services and/or human health, taking into account possible adverse impact on the economy as an aggravating factor.

EU Regulation no. 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and the Council of October 22, 2014 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species regulates the issue of invasive alien species on the territory of EU member states.

The application of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development was created as part of the project Establishing a national system for monitoring invasive alien species (KK.06.5.1.01.0001) co-financed by the European Union from the Cohesion Fund, and was developed by the company Span d.o.o. and Prehnit d.o.o. The project contributes to solving the problem of the harmful effects of invasive alien species (IAS) on Croatia's biodiversity by increasing knowledge about alien species and IAS by collecting and analyzing data, conducting targeted field research, establishing an information system and creating an application for smartphones to collect data on species observations in the field thus creating a foundation for future invasive alien species management activities in Croatia.

The content of the mobile application is the sole responsibility of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development.