1/6/2007
Environment : EU looks for further progress in the regulation of international trade in wildlife

The European Union will be pushing for effective regulation of international trade in certain species of sharks, eels and timber at the 14th Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) on 3-15 June in The Hague.

The EU will also continue to press for the implementation of adequate mechanisms to monitor developments in illegal killing of elephants before any further commercial ivory trade should be allowed.

The EU believes CITES can make an important contribution to achieving the global target of significantly reducing the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010, by ensuring that international trade in wildlife and wildlife products is sustainable.
 
The Convention was established to conserve species whose status is being directly impacted by trade. It is not designed to protect species that are endangered for other reasons.

CITES members will be ruling on proposals to list a number of species when they gather in The Hague next week for the Convention’s annual conference of parties.