Commission Regulation (EC) No 865/2006 of 4 May 2006 laying down detailed rules concerning the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 of 9 December 1996 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein⁽¹⁾ and in particular Article 19 (1), (2) and (4) thereof,

Whereas:

1. Provisions are required to implement Regulation (EC) No 338/97 and to ensure full compliance with the provisions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), hereinafter ‘the Convention’.

2. In order to ensure the uniform implementation of Regulation (EC) No 338/97, it is necessary to lay down detailed conditions and criteria for the consideration of permit and certificate applications and for the issue, validity and use of such documents. It is therefore appropriate to lay down models to which those documents must correspond.

3. It is further necessary to lay down detailed provisions relating to the conditions and criteria for the treatment of specimens of animal species that are born and bred in captivity and of specimens of plant species that are artificially propagated in order to ensure the common implementation of the derogations applicable to such specimens.

4. The derogations for specimens that are personal and household effects provided for in Article 7(3) of Regulation (EC) No 338/97 require that provisions be specified to ensure compliance with paragraph 3 of Article VII of the Convention.

5. In order to ensure that general derogations from the internal trade prohibitions contained in Article 8(1) of Regulation (EC) No 338/97 are uniformly applied, it is necessary to lay down conditions and criteria with regard to their definition.

6. It is necessary to establish procedures for the marking of certain specimens of species in order to facilitate their identification and ensure enforcement of the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 338/97.

7. Provisions should be laid down regarding the contents, form and submission of the periodic reports provided for in Regulation (EC) No 338/97.

8. In order for future amendments to the Annexes to Regulation (EC) No 338/97 to be considered all relevant information should be available, particularly on the biological and trade status of species, their use and methods of controlling trade.

9. At the 12th session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, held in Santiago (Chile) from 3 to 15 November 2002, a number of Resolutions were adopted concerning; inter alia; simplified procedures for the issue of permits and certificates, a special certificate to facilitate the movement of certain categories of specimens that are part of a travelling exhibition, additional derogations regarding personal effects, updated requirements regarding the labelling of containers of caviar, and other measures of a routine and technical nature, including the alteration of the codes used in permits and certificates and amendments to the list of standard references used for determining the names of species listed in the Appendices to the Convention, and it is therefore necessary to take those Resolutions into account.

10. In view of the administrative burden entailed by the regulation of the export and import of live captive born and bred and personally owned animals and of personally owned animals introduced into the Community before Regulation (EC) No 338/97, Council Regulation (EEC) No 3626/82 of 3 December 1982 on the implementation in the Community of the Convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora⁽²⁾ or national legislation implementing the Convention became applicable, and of the fact that such exports and imports do not pose an obstacle to the protection of species of fauna in the wild, a special certificate should be created for those purposes.

11. Commission Regulation (EC) No 1808/2001 of 30 August 2001 laying down detailed rules concerning the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein⁽³⁾ therefore needs to be substantially amended. In view of the scope of those amendments and in the interests of clarity, that Regulation should be replaced in its entirety.

12. The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee on Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora,

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