Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

(asked on 23rd October 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK will maintain the current EU Wildlife Trade Regulations and therefore remain within the EU’s regulatory Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora framework, following a Brexit withdrawal agreement.


This question was answered on 5th November 2019

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is implemented in the EU through a number of regulations known collectively as the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations (WTR), which put in place a system of permits and certificates for cross-border movement of specimens of endangered species. Under the EU (Withdrawal) Act, the WTR will become retained EU law on exit day. We have made EU Exit regulations to make this retained EU law work in the UK.

With regard to a withdrawal agreement, current CITES controls and procedures in place between the UK and EU27 will continue during the implementation period. After EU Exit we will consider on an ongoing basis amendments necessary to continue to meet our obligations under CITIES in a UK context.

The UK is a Party to CITIES in its own right, and will remain a Party after EU Exit. The UK will continue to meet the obligations and commitments under CITIES to work toward ensuring that no species becomes extinct as a result of unsustainable trade.

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