establishing the position to be adopted, on behalf of the European Union, with regard to the submission of proposals for amendments to the Appendices to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) with a view to the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

1.Subject matter of the proposal

This proposal concerns the decision establishing the position to be taken on the Union's behalf in the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) in connection with submitting proposals for decisions of the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to amend the appendices of the Convention.

2.Context of the proposal

2.1.The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)

The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (‘the Agreement’) aims to conserve terrestrial, marine and avian migratory species throughout their range. It is an intergovernmental treaty, concluded under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme, concerned with the conservation of wildlife and habitats on a global scale. The migratory species to be conserved are listed in Appendices I (endangered species) and II (species to be the subjects of agreements) to the Agreement. The Agreement entered into force on 1 November 1983.

The European Union is a party to the Agreement.

2.2.The Conference of the Parties

The Conference of the Parties is the decision-making body of the Agreement with powers to assess the conservation status of migratory species and, subsequently, to amend Appendices I and II to the Agreement. In accordance with Article XI of the Agreement, proposals for amendment may be made by any Party, and shall be adopted by a two-thirds majority of Parties present and voting.

The thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties will take place in Gandhinagar (India) from 15 to 22 February 2020. The deadline for submitting proposals for amendment has been fixed by the Secretariat of the Agreement, in line with Article XI (3), to be 19 September 2019. It is therefore necessary for the Council to take a decision for the purpose of establishing the position to be adopted on behalf of the Union with a view to the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties with regard to submitting proposals for amendment.

Before the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, the Secretariat of the Agreement may communicate proposals made by other Parties to amend Appendices I and II to the Agreement, which may require a further decision establishing the position to be adopted on behalf of the Union with regard to those proposals.

2.3.The envisaged act of the Conference of the Parties

For the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties, it is proposed that the Union submit proposals to amend Appendix I to the Agreement to increase the protection of one bird species (Tetrax tetrax) and to amend Appendix II to the Agreement to increase the protection of the same species of bird (Tetrax tetrax) and also of two species of shark (Galeorhinus galeus and Sphyrna zygaena), throughout their distribution range, including outside the Union.

If adopted, the envisaged act will become binding on the parties in accordance with Article XI of the Agreement, which provides that an amendment to the Appendices enters into force for all Parties ninety days after the meeting of the Conference of the Parties at which it is adopted, except for those Parties which make a reservation.

3.Position to be taken on the Union's behalf

The Union proposals to amend the appendices are based on the following considerations: (1) the inclusion of such species is scientifically sound; (2) such an inclusion is consistent with the EU legislation; and (3) the Union is committed to international cooperation for the protection of biodiversity.

The proposal is consistent with the Seventh Environmental Action Programme and the EU biodiversity strategy to 2020, especially Target 6: help avert global biodiversity loss. This proposal would not require any change in Union law, as it concerns species which already benefit from appropriate protection under Union law, notably the Birds Directive and the EU Common Fisheries Policy.

The proposal does not create any new monitoring or reporting requirements. All implementation planning and monitoring would be part of the regular planning and reporting activities under the Agreement. Furthermore, there are no budgetary implications.

An informal exchange of preliminary views with the Member States has taken place through a written consultation of the Member State members of the Co-ordination Group for Biodiversity and Nature (CGBN) and the Expert Group on the Birds and the Habitats Directives (NADEG).