17/07/2017 (Agence Europe) – The European Union has allocated €8 million to the secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to support the sustainable management of tree species, which are threatened by over-exploitation, and the conservation of African elephants. The news was announced by the European Commission and the secretariat of CITES on Friday 14 July. Of this sum, €7 million will go to support the tree species programme to be implemented by the CITES Secretariat, and €1 million for the African Elephant Fund to be implemented by UN Environment. The new funding will help 25 timber-exporting countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America and 37 African countries where elephants are found to implement the decision adopted at CITES CoP 17 in Johannesburg in October 2016 (see EUROPE 11639). (AN)