Apple Snails, a long standing favourite of tropical freshwater fishkeepers, is soon to become nothing but a fond memory for European Aquarists. 

A population of snails has been found in the Catalonia region of Spain, and as a result the EU Commission has drafted legislation banning the import and breeding of all members of the Genus Pomacea, which includes the familiar tropical Apple Snails. 
Unfortunately Apple Snails already have a reputation for invasiveness, having made themselves at home in both Hawaii and Taiwan where they are a serious pest to food crops.  This ban could come into effect at any time, but the current thinking is that it is expected around the end of November 2012. After this time the Apple Snails that you see in your local Maidenhead store cannot be restocked once they are sold. The expectation is that, over time, the number of Pomacea being sold will reduce and eventually halt altogether, thereby eradicating the risk of wild populations establishing themselves in the EU. 
Provided there is no evidence in official surveillance of Pomacea reaching the wider environment, this will allow existing stocks to be traded and then maintained under contained conditions (e.g. in fish tanks) until the end of their natural life and avoiding the need for more stringent action, such as an immediate prohibition on further sales.  
For more information about this topic or anything else aquatic, please speak to your local Maidenhead Aquatics store.