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DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(76)713
Vol.1976/0211

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(76)713final.
Brussels.3January1977*
RECOMMENDATION FOR ACOUNCIL DECISION
concerningnegociations fortheCommunityassuchtoaccedetothe
ConventiononInternational TradeinEndangeredSpeciesofwildFlora
andFauna
(submittedtotheCouncil "bytheCommission)
CCM(76)713final

1.Amajor method ofprotecting wild species offlora andfauna threatened
with extinction isthestrict restriction andcontrol ofinternational
trade inanimals andplants ofthese speoies andproducts obtained
from them#
TheWashington Convention of3March 1973 meets this requirement .
Itaims tosafeguard some eight hundred species ofwild flora andfauna
byreducing commercial pressures leading totheir capture and
destruction .
TheConvention came into foroe on1July 1975 *By1December 1976 all
nine Member States oftheCommunity hadsigned theConvention andtwo
hadratified it.Intheremaining Member States theratification
procedure isinprogress .
2.Forthepurpose ofprotecting such species theConvention uses
instruments ofcommercial policy such asbans ,restriction orcontrol
ofimports andexports oftheproducts inquestion .Henee ,under the
Convention ,thevarious trading operations inthese species andin
products obtained from them (importation ,exportation ,re-exportation
landing from thesea)are subject toalicensing system ,under which the
granting ofpermission isrelated totherarity ofthespeoies andto
their ultimate commercial use .TheConvention requires each
contracting party todesignate anauthority empowered toissue licences *
3.Varying applications bytheMember States ofthis complex system could
create barriers ctotrade anddistorsion ofcompetition atthe
Community level duetothediffering degrees ofstrictness with which
theConventions provisions areenforced ,inparticular those oonoerning
theident ificat6pnpfthes^eo^msBspfift these speoies andproduots obtained
from them .

Parfrombeingpurelytheoretical ,theseproblemscouldhavean
economicimpactofundoubtedimportance,sinceproduotssuchasskins,
leatherandfursaregenerallyofhighvalue.
4»TheapplicationoftheConventionfallswithintheCommunity's
competencetoaveryISuigeextenttinderArticle113oftheESSTreaty.
ItfollowsthattheMemberStatesshouldnotseparatelyundertaketo
applythewholerangeofmeasurescoveredbytheConventionandthat
theCommunityshouldalsobeoomeacontractingpartyandparticipatein
theadministration oftheagreement.Furthermore,byapprovingthe
environment programmeoftheEuropeanCommunitiesfortheperiod
1977-811theCounoilacknowledgedthissituation.
***
ThereforetheCommissionreoommendstheadoptionoftheattaoheddraft
decisiontotheCouncil.

RECOMMENDATION FORA
COUNCILDECISIONOP
TheCounciloftheEuropeanCommunities
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,
andinparticulartoarticle113thereof,
Havingregardtotherecommendation oftheCommission,
1*ConsideringtheCouncilResolutionof9December1976on"the
continuation andimplementation ofaEuropeanCommunitypolicyand
actionprogrammeontheenvironment ;
2,WhereasthatprogrammeemphasizesthatthewholeCommunityisconcerned
withtheprotectionofwildfloraandfaunaandthattheapplicationof
theConventiononinternational tradeinendangeredspeciesofwild
floraandfaunaisanimportantmeasureforprotectingthem;
3.Whereas,toachieveitsobjectives,thatConventionresortsmainlyto
measuresofcommercialpolioybyimposingrestrictions andstrict
?controlofinternational tradeinanimalsandplantsofendangered
speciesand^productsobtainedfromthem;
4*WhereastheexistenceintheMemberStatesofnon–harmonized
implementing measuresmightproducedistortionsofcompetition and
barrierstotradewithintheCommunity;
5«WhereastheaccessionoftheCommunityassuchtothisConventionis
necessaryfortheforegoingreasonsandtakingintoaccountthe
competenceoftheCommunityinthisfield; t
Hasadoptedthisdecision:

SingleArticle
TheCommissionisherebyauthorizedtoopennegotiations withaviewto
theaccessionoftheCommunitytotheConvention onInternational Crade
inIhdangeredSpeciesofWildFloraandFauna.
TheCommissionshallconductthesenegociations inconsultation withthe
.SpecialCommitteereferredtoinarticle113oftheiSECTreatyandin
accordancewithanydirectiveswhichtheCouncilmayissuetoit.