Conventions to control the movement of specimens

International Agreements installed to control the movement of specimens

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

CITES is an international agreement between governments. It has been established in 1973 and is now ratified by 175 Governments (called Parties). Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. CITES works by subjecting international trade in specimens of selected species to certain controls. All import, export, re-export and introduction from the sea of species covered by the Convention has to be authorized through a licensing system. Each Party to the Convention must designate one or more Management Authorities in charge of administering that licensing system and one or more Scientific Authorities to advise them on the effects of trade on the status of the species.

For Belgium for instance the competent licensing authorithy is the Federal Public Sevice Health, Food Chain Security and Environment (Section Animal Wellfare & CITES). This management authorithy is assisted by several scientific authorithies, of which the Royal Belgian institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels is one of them. Inforcement authorithies are the federal police and the customs authorithies.

The species covered by CITES are listed in three Appendices, according to the degree of protection they need.

• Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction. Trade in specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances (for instance for scientific research, for breeding programs).
• Appendix II includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival.
• Appendix III contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade. Changes to Appendix III follow a distinct procedure from changes to Appendices I and II, as each Party’s is entitled to make unilateral amendments to it.

European regulation

The regulations to control trade of endangered species employed by the European Union are still more strict than those of CITES. The EU uses not 3 appendices but 4 lists: A, B, C and D. The first three lists are very comparable to the cites appendices, but for a couple of species the EU has installed stricter rules: all indigeneous birds of prey are put in list A whereas they figure in appendix B for CITES. In list D, the EU has put species for which it monitors trade under the precautionary principle.

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

The Convention on Biological Diversity has as objectives: (i) the conservation of biodiversity, (ii) the sustainable use of the components of biodiversity, and (iii) the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilisation of the genetic resources. To implement these three objectives, sound taxonomic research is needed and such can only be done if specimens and the genetic information they contain are available. Access to and benefit sharing of genetic resources is regulated by the Nagoya Protocol.

The International Plant Exchange Network (IPEN)

IPEN is an exchange system for botanic gardens for non-commercial exchange of plant material, based on the CBD. IPEN works via a registration system open for botanic gardens that adopt a common policy (Code of Conduct) regarding access to genetic resources and sharing of the resulting benefits.

It has been developed by the Verband Botanischer Gärten (an association of gardens in German speaking countries) and was taken over by the European Consortium of Botanic Gardens (more about the history of IPEN).

The IPEN network facilitates the exchange of plant material between the member gardens while respecting the Access and Benefit-Sharing regulations of the CBD. It aims to create a climate of confidence between the countries owning the genetic resources and the botanic gardens (more about the background and description of IPEN).

Gardens that wish to join the network must sign and abide by a Code of Conduct that sets out gardens’ responsibilities for acquisition, maintenance and supply of living plant material and associated benefit-sharing. Acquisition or supply of material with extra terms and conditions, or any use for commercial purposes, is not covered by the network and requires the use of appropriate Material Transfer Agreements (more about criteria for IPEN membership and registration).