Explanatory Memorandum to COM(2004)529 - Proposal for a Council Decision - Proposal for a Council Decision on the EC position to be adopted on certain proposals submitted to the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Bangkok, Thailand, 2 - 14 October 2004 - Main contents
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This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2004)529 - Proposal for a Council Decision - Proposal for a Council Decision on the EC position to be adopted on certain proposals ... |
|---|---|
| source | COM(2004)529  |
| date | 29-07-2004 |
2. The text of the Convention was amended in 1983 to allow Regional Economic Integration Organisations such as the EC to become a Party (the so-called Gaborone amendment). However, an insufficient number of Parties have ratified this amendment in order for it to come into effect.
3. In view of the effects of decisions taken by the Conference of the Parties on the implementation of the Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 of 9 December 1996 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein i, it is necessary to adopt a Community position on proposals submitted to the Conference.
4. Draft Resolutions and discussion papers on interpretation and implementation of the Convention and proposals to amend the appendices prepared by Member States or by the Commission were discussed by the Committee of Member States constituted under Council Regulation 338/97 at a meeting on 20 April 2004. All proposals and working documents that were approved were subsequently submitted to the CITES Secretariat by the relevant Member State or the Presidency on behalf of all the Member States. Among the proposals submitted were ones concerning amendments to the appendices and a number of resolutions and discussion papers on matters such as compliance and personal effects.
5. On 8 June, the Commission services held an informal meeting with experts from the Member States to discuss the issues to be debated at the Conference of the Parties. On 9 June, the Commission services held a consultation meeting with interested NGOs at which those NGOs were given an opportunity to set out their views on these issues.
6. Some documents for the Conference were not available in sufficient time for the Commission to propose a Community position at the present time. The Commission therefore proposes that the position on these issues be established during the meeting in accordance with Article 2 of the draft Council Decision.
7. The business of the Conference falls into three parts: strategic and administrative matters, interpretation and implementation of the Convention and proposals to amend the appendices. As the Community is not a Party to the Convention the first does not generally impact on Council Regulation 338/97. The second part represents the evolution of the Convention and is of considerable technical importance. However, it is the amendments to the appendices (levels of protection afforded to different species) that will inevitably attract most public attention. Here the most critical issues are: whales and dolphins, elephants, the African lion, fish and shellfish, (including the humphead wrasse and the European date mussel) and timber (especially ramin).
8. There are two annexes to the proposed Council Decision. Annex I outlines the Community position on the critical issues listed above. Annex II contains proposed Community positions on Conference agenda items for which documents were available by 8 June 2004.