The European Parliament calls for the EU to be truly ambitious at the 19th Conference of the Parties on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES COP19 in Panama, 14-25 November) and also to put its own house in order, according to a resolution adopted on Wednesday 5 October by a very large majority (549 votes in favour, 28 against and 50 abstentions).
Echoing the report by its Committee on Environment, Parliament calls in particular for the elimination, not just the limitation, of all illegal trafficking in endangered species by 2025, in favour of only legal and sustainable trade in wild fauna and flora and for strengthening the EU’s 2016 Action Plan to curb the growing trade in exotic species kept as pets in the EU, which is considered to be a serious concern (see EUROPE 13018/6, 13031/19).
Prior to the vote, the European Commission and the Council of the EU were asked to reveal their intentions for COP19 and to respond to MEPs’ concerns about tackling the risk of zoonotic disease transmission from global wildlife trade (see EUROPE 12971/7).
Disappointed by the EU’s past attitude, in that it refused at the previous COP to list African elephants in Appendix I of CITES, as well as certain amphibians and frogs, rapporteur Anja Hazekamp (The Left, Dutch) urged the Commission and EU Council to listen to Parliament, especially with regard to ending the trade in hippopotamus products, especially ivory.
“Ten African countries have proposed transferring the hippopotamus to Appendix I. However, the Commission seems determined not to support this listing”, she denounced, hoping for support from the EU in view of the “commitments in favour of biodiversity proclaimed loud and clear by this Commission”.
Czech Minister for European Affairs Mikuláš Bek, speaking on behalf of the Presidency-in-Office of the EU Council, said that reversing the extinction of one million threatened species is one of the objectives of the Council of the EU and its Member States.
“The EU Council wants to adopt an ambitious position that will be in line with our international commitments and European legislation”, he said. As proof, according to him, the EU has presented 13 of the 50 or so amendments that will be examined at COP19. “Our listing proposals are based on scientific criteria, the conservation status of the species concerned and the impact on the status of the species itself”. According to him, targeted action to combat elephant poaching and ivory trafficking remains a priority and that the EU will promote the harmonisation of conditions for the trade of live elephants in Africa at COP19.
He said that the EU has also proposed listing additional tree species under CITES.
“The EU is also in favour of better monitoring of species imported illegally into the EU or at unsustainable levels, including species of amphibians and reptiles and, more specifically, certain turtles imported into the EU for use as pets”, the Minister assured.
On behalf of the European Commission, Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli stressed that trade in species plays an important role in many economies, from live animals and plants to by-products including food, leather, timber, medicines, conceding that “we must however regulate it effectively to ensure sustainability and consistency against species extinction”.
She told MEPs that “the Commission will soon present the results of the evaluation of the 2016 EU Action Plan” against trafficking in endangered species.
Both the European Commission and the Czech Presidency of the EU Council underlined their full support for CITES cooperation with the World Organisation for Animal Health to improve animal health and considered that preventing the emergence and spread of zoonotic diseases requires a One Health approach. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)