Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

KEY POINTS

Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

• CITES came into force in 1975.
• 183 countries and regional organisations are parties to the convention, including the EU and all EU Member States.

Regulation

The convention sets out different degrees of regulation for different plant and animal species. These are listed in its appendices.

• Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction and for which trade must be strictly regulated and only authorised in exceptional circumstances.
• Appendix II includes species that, though not necessarily threatened with imminent extinction, may become so unless trade is strictly regulated. To facilitate more effective control of these species, the appendix can include also lookalike species — those that look similar to species that are endangered.
• Appendix III includes species that are regulated by a party and for which the cooperation of other parties is needed in order to control their exploitation through international trade.

Permits and certificates

• Permits and certificates are used under CITES to regulate and monitor trade in endangered species. They are issued by the designated managing authorities of each party (in the EU, by the authorities of the Member States).
• Permits and certificates are issued only if certain conditions are fulfilled. Depending on the category of species, these include:
  • whether trade would be detrimental for the species’ survival;
  • whether the specimen was acquired legally;
  • in the case of live animals, the conditions for transport and housing.
• Species in Appendix I cannot be traded for commercial purposes.
• Scientific authorities advise managing authorities on the granting of export permits to ensure the conservation status of species in Appendix II remains well above the level for inclusion in Appendix I.
• There are a number of exemptions from some of these rules, including for:
  • specimens acquired before the convention became applicable to them;
  • transits and transshipments through a party’s territory where the specimen remains under customs control;
  • captive-bred animals and artificially propagated plants;
  • the exchange of specimens in the collections of scientists and scientific institutions and of captive-bred or pre-convention specimens held by travelling exhibitions.

Monitoring and enforcement

• Parties are required to take appropriate measures to:
  • penalise illegal trade in, or possession of specimens covered by CITES rules;
  • confiscate or return to the country of export specimens seized in illegal trade.
• Parties must record and report all trade data to the CITES secretariat on an annual basis. The European Commission also produces an analysis of the EU's annual trade report.
• Parties submit a triennial report to the secretariat on the legal rules and measures taken to enforce CITES.