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COM (85) 532 
 
 
 
Vol. 1985/0197 
  
 
Disclaimer  
Conformém ent au règlement (CEE, Euratom) n° 354/83 du Conseil du 1er février 1983 
concernant l'ouverture au public des archives historiques de la Communauté économique 
européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l'énergie atomique (JO L 43 du 15.2.1983, 
p. 1), tel que modifié par le règlement (CE, Euratom) n° 1700/2003 du 22 septembre 2003 
(JO L 243 du 27.9.2003, p. 1), ce dossier est ouvert au public. Le cas échéant, les documents 
classifiés présents dans ce dossier ont été déclassifiés conformément à l'article 5 dudit 
règlem ent. 
In accordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 
concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Econom ic 
Communit y and the European Atom ic Energy Communit y (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1), as 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1700/2003 of 22 September 2003 (OJ L 243, 
27.9.2003, p. 1), this file is open to the public. Where necessary, classified documents in this 
file have been declassified in conformity with Article 5 of the aforementioned regulation. 
In Übereinstimmung mit der Verordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr. 354/83 des Rates vom  1. 
Februar 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen 
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft und der Europäischen Atomgem einschaft (ABI. L 43 vom  15.2.1983, 
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. Septem ber 2003 
(ABI. L 243 vom 27.9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit 
erforderlich, wurden die Verschlusssachen in dieser Datei in Übereinstimmung mit Artikel 5 
der genannten Verordnung freigegeben. 
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
C0M (85) 532 final
Brussels, 8  October 1985
\
C O M M U N IC A T IO N  F R O M  T H E  C O M M IS S IO N  T O  T H E  C O U N C IL
Report on the implementation by the Com munity of the 
Bonn Convention on the conservation of migratory 
species of wild animals __________________________
C 0
M C 85 ) 532 final

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1. O n  24 June 1982 the Com munity concluded the Bonn Convention on the 
conservation of migratory species of wild animals,^ to which it  has becom e a  
Contracting Party.
2. The firs t meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention w ill be 
held in Bonn from 2 1  to 26 October 1985.
3. Article VI of the Bonn Convention calls upon the Contracting Parties to 
inform the Conference of the Parties, through the Secretariat, of the measures 
that they are taking to implement the provisions of the Convention.
4. The Commission is transmitting to the Council, for information, a
report °n The implementation by the Community of the Bonn Convention on
the'conservation of migratory species of wild animals.
O J  L  210, 19.7.1982.

Report on the implementation by the E E C  of the Bonn Convention
The European Community implements the Convention by performing the tasks 
assigned to it  under c o m m o n  rules, and in particular the Council Directive of
A
2  April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds as am ended by 
Directive 81/854/EEC of 19 October 1981.2
The Directive establishes a  general system of protection for a ll species of 
naturally occurring birds in the wild state in the European te rritory of the 
M em ber States to which the Treaty applies. It covers the protection, 
m anagem ent and control of these species and lays dow n rules for their 
exploitation. It applies to wild birds, their eggs, nests and habitats.
A s  loss of natural habitat is becoming an increasingly acute problem dwarfing 
other problems involved in the conservation of wild birds, the Directive 
focuses above a ll on the preservation, maintenance and re-establishment of biotopes 
and habitats and provides, as a  firs t step, for the creation of special 
protection areas for 74 bird species in need of particular attention. T he 
Commission has the task of taking appropriate steps to ensure, by m eans of 
coordination, that these areas constitute a  coherent network consistent with 
the requirements as regards protecting these species in the geographical sea 
and land area in which the Directive applies.
A s part of this task, the Commission is at present working with scientific 
experts to draw up a  preliminary inventory of areas of major importance for 
the conservation of wild birds in the Community. This should serve as a  
reference document for the creation of the abovementioned network and enable 
the relevant Commission departments to ensure increasingly effectively that
O J  L  103, 25.4.1979. 
O J  L  319, 7.11.1981.

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the development encouraged by the Community does not affect these areas in an 
unacceptable fashion. W ork is also in progress concerning the organization 
and m anagem ent of special protection areas and the areas notified by the 
M em ber States pursuant to the Council Resolution of 2  April 1979 concerning 
Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds.^
Article 5  of the Directive sets out the obligations of the M em ber States with 
regard to s tric tly  protected bird species. They must in particular prohibit:
(a) deliberate k illin g  or capture by any method;
(b) deliberate destruction of, or dam age to, their nests and eggs or removal 
of their nests;
C c) taking their eggs in the wild and keeping these eggs even i f  empty;
(d) deliberate disturbance of these birds particularly during periods of 
breeding and rearing, in so far as disturbance would be significant 
having regard to the objectives of the directive; and
(e) keeping birds of species the hunting and capture of which are prohibited.
Owing to their population level, geographical distribution and reproductive 
rate throughout the Community, 24 bird species listed in Annex II/1 to the 
Directive m a y  be hunted under the national legislation of M em ber States. 
Forty-eight other bird species listed in Annex II/2  m a y  be hunted only in 
certain M em ber States. N one of these species m a y  be hunted during the nesting 
season nor during the various stages of breeding and rearing. In the
O J  C  103, 25.4.1979.

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case of migratory species, hunting is not permitted during their breeding 
period or during their return to their nesting places.
Turning to the marketing of wild birds, the sale, transport for sale, keeping 
for sale and the offering for sale of live or dead birds and of any readily 
recognizable parts or derivatives of such birds are prohibited, except for the 
26 species referred to in Annex I I I  to the Directive and derogations pursuant 
to Article 9  of the Directive.
In addition, with the exception of derogations by M em ber States the. 
consequences of which are monitored by the Commission, the use of a ll means, 
arrangements or methods used for the large-scale or non-selective capture or 
k illin g  of birds or capable of causing the local disappearance of a  species, 
and in particular the use of the m eans listed in Annex IV to the Directive, is 
prohibited.
The Directive also prohibits the hunting of birds from a ircra ft, motor 
vehicles, and boats driven at a  speed exceeding 5  k m  per hour.
The Commission of the European Communities is responsible for ensuring that 
the Directive is properly applied. In the event of failure to apply the 
Directive, it  takes steps to rectify this state of affairs.
In addition to these bird-conservation measures, under 
Council Regulation 3626/82 of 3  D ecem ber 1982 on the implementation in the 
Community of the Convention on international trade in endangered species of 
wild fauna and flora the Com m unity has prohibited the display to the public 
for commercial purposes and the sale, keeping for sale, offering for sale or 
transporting for sale of the wild plants and animals indigenous to Europe 
listed in Appendix I to the Washington Convention or Part 1  of Annex C  to the 
Regulation. A m o n g  other species, these measures concern turtles, whales and 
m onk seals.

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Mention should also be m a d e  of the work being carried out by the Commission at 
the request of the European Parliament to conserve the m onk seal, and the 
studies and research encouraged by the Community, and in particular those 
aimed at conserving the Dalmatian Pelican and the L ittle  Bustard and those to 
reintroduce the White-headed D uck in Ita ly. The Euring data bank and the 
inventory of bird conservation research projects in the Community are another 
two examples of activities in this area.