UK CITES Introduction

UK CITES Introduction - Background

Background | Legislative Framework | CITES Species

What is CITES?

The ‘Washington’ Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, more commonly known as CITES, aims to protect certain plants and animals by regulating and monitoring their international trade to prevent it reaching unsustainable levels. The Convention entered into force in 1975, and the UK became a Party in 1976. There are more than 168 Parties to the Convention. The CITES Secretariat is administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

How does CITES work?

CITES regulates international trade in over 33,000 species, of which approximately 28,000 are plants. These species are listed in three appendices. Proposals to amend the appendices, and new resolutions on the implementation of the Convention, are considered at the triennial Conference of the Parties (COP). The CITES Standing Committee oversees the business of the Convention between Conferences, and meets once or twice a year. The Convention is managed by the CITES Secretariat, based in Geneva.

What is the UK’s position?

The UK Government strongly supports CITES as an essential instrument for helping to safeguard species which are threatened by international trade.

UK administration

Each Party to CITES must have a Management Authority. The Wildlife Species Conservation Division and Wildlife Habitats and Biodiversity Divisions of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) based in Bristol together comprise the UK CITES Management Authority. The Management Authority is responsible for ensuring that the Convention is properly implemented in the UK, which includes enforcement and issuing permits and certificates for the import and export, or commercial use of, CITES specimens. In accordance with the provisions of the Convention, applications for CITES permits are referred to a designated CITES Scientific Authority for advice on the conservation status of the species concerned.

The UK has two independent Scientific Authorities: the Joint Nature Conservation Committee for animals, and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew for plants. Enforcement of the Convention at borders is primarily carried out by HM Revenue and Customs, inland the Police and the Defra’s Wildlife Inspectorate have lead responsibility.

What is the function of a Scientific Authority?

The role of a Scientific Authority is defined both by the Convention and, with additional duties, by the EC Regulations. Amongst other things, Scientific Authorities are required to determine whether:

imports or exports of CITES species will have a harmful effect on the conservation status of a species or on the extent of the territory occupied by the relevant population of the species;
intended accommodation for an imported live specimen of an EC Annex A animal is adequately equipped to conserve and care for it;
import restrictions to the EC should be proposed because they will have a negative effect on the status of the species in the wild, because the species has a high mortality rate in transport or a poor survival rate in captivity (animals), or because their introduction into the Community would present an ecological threat to native species.

EC Implementation

The European Community in total, and the United Kingdom in particular, are one of the largest consumers of wildlife and wildlife products in the world (along with the USA and Japan). Due to the European single market, and the absence of internal border controls, CITES provisions are applied uniformly in the European Community through two EC Regulations, (338/97 and 939/97). In some respects, these Regulations are stricter than CITES itself; for instance they include certain non-CITES species and have stricter welfare requirements for live animals. The regulations are administered by Directorate General for Environment in the Commission of the European Community (for more details see Legislative framework).

In order to ensure uniform application of the regulation throughout the Community, Regulation 338/97 establishes 2 groups, the EC CITES Committee and the EC Scientific Review Group. The role of the former includes, among other things, assisting the EC Commission in adopting uniform conditions and establishing procedures, amending the Annexes to the Regulation, and adopting additional measures to implement resolutions of the Conference of the CITES Parties. The role of the Scientific Review Group is to examine any scientific question relating to the application of the Regulations, especially in relation to determining whether imports to the Community will be detrimental to the survival of the species in the wild, and advising the Committee accordingly.

More information about the EC Regulations can be found at

http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/cites/home_en.htm

This website, prepared by TRAFFIC Europe for the European Commission, gives advice to traders, travellers and others on how to comply with EU Regulations on wildlife trade.


www.jncc.gov.uk Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Monkstone House, City Road Peterborough, PE1 1JY United Kingdom.	www.defra.gov.uk/animalhealth/ Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service Defra, 1/17 Temple Quay House, 2 The Square,Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6EB United Kingdom.	www.rbgkew.org.uk Conventions and Policy Section, Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE United Kingdom.