WRITTEN QUESTION E-0240/01 by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Exotic animal species: removing animals unsuitable as domestic pets from the European market.
Date: 2001-02-07
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: animal life, domestic animal, import, marketing restriction, protection of animals, transport of animals, veterinary inspection

18.9.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 261 E/71

Have more or less stringent requirements been imposed in practice on the trade in and admission of
3.
exotic species in the other 14 European Union Member States than in the Netherlands to the end of 2000?
Are there important differences between Member States in the matter of transportation, inspection and
admission as domestic pets?

How many of the 280 external-border inspection centres in the European Union Member States are

4.
empowered to investigate and authorise the importing of exotic species?

Is the Commission aware of ways and means whereby the practice of combining lawful imports into
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one Member State with forwarding free of checks to another could be restricted? What arrangements
already exist in that connection?

(2001/C 261 E/074)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0240/01

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(7 February 2001)

Subject: Exotic animal species: removing animals unsuitable as domestic pets from the European market

1.
Can the European Commission produce figures confirming that imports of exotic animal species
have risen in recent years? Which Member States are major players in this growing import trade, and
which display a low or even a falling trend in such imports?

2.
Does the Commission agree that the practice of keeping exotic animals as pets must not only be
controlled but must also be firmly discouraged, both because such animals face poor survival prospects in
what is for them an unnatural environment, and because some such animals living in captivity pose a
threat to humans and other animals in the vicinity if they manage to escape?

Is the Commission aware of any effective means whereby the national authorities in the Member
the entry of exotic animal species without coming into conflict with existing

3.
States could prevent
European Union rules? What options are available to the Commission and which ones does it rule out?

4. Will the Commission act to ensure that imports of exotic animals other than for delivery to zoos or
for use in scientific research will be intercepted at the European Union(cid:146)s external borders or be made
subject to stringent restrictions?

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-0238/01, E-0239/01 and E-0240/01
given by Mrs Wallstr(cid:246)m on behalf of the Commission

(19 April 2001)

The introduction into the Community of endangered species of wild fauna and flora is subject to Council
Regulation (EC) No 338/97 (1) and Commission Regulation (EC) No 939/97 (2) on the implementation of
the Council Regulation.

Under Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 338/97 Member States have indicated places of introduction into
and export from the Community (3).

The Dutch authorities have indicated the following places of introduction and export of live animals
covered by this Regulation:

(cid:129) Schiphol-Gebouw Cargocentre, Handelskade 130;

(cid:129) Schiphol-Gebouw WTC, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol;

C 261 E/72

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

18.9.2001

(cid:129) Maastricht-Aachen Airport Passagiersafhandeling;

(cid:129) Maastricht-Aachen Airport Vrachtafhandeling.

The Commission has no indication of changes to the above list in the framework of Regulation (EC)
No 338/97.

Imports of all live animals and animal products are only permitted at border inspection posts that have
been approved by the Commission and listed in the official journal. The procedures and import conditions
for such imports are harmonised under various Directives and implementing rules. Import rules for live
animal species not covered by a specific Directive fall under the Balai Directive 92/65/EC (4). The
Commission(cid:146)s Food and Veterinary Office makes inspections of all border inspection posts in the
Community to verify both the actual facilities and the procedures that are operated there.

The Commission is aware of the refusal of KLM and some other European airlines to transport live wild
animals and it shares the concerns about the welfare of live animals caused by these restrictions. The
Commission supports the transport of live animals by airlines which respect International Air Transport
Association (IATA) norms established for the transport of such specimens.

Increasing volumes of trade in wild pet species can partly be explained by more complete trade reporting
by Member States over the past
few years. For detailed information on these trade volumes the
Commission refers the Honourable Member to the Community annual report to CITES established under
Article 15 4 a) and b) of the Council Regulation. It should also be pointed out that under the above
Community Regulations, trade is strictly monitored at Community level and import restrictions can be put
in place when and where necessary. As a result, the trade permitted under this Regulation complies with
the principle of sustainable use of wildlife, providing socio-economic incentives for developing countries to
enhance conservation of endangered species.

With regard to the survival prospects of exotic pet animals, it should be noted that in many cases the
natural life span of a wild specimen may well be much shorter than that of the captive specimen of the
same species, as the latter is not exposed to predators and other dangers resulting from life in nature.
Under Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 338/97 the authorities of the Member States have the responsibility
for ensuring that pet traders provide buyers of wild pet animals with information about how to take care
of the animals. Finally, Regulation (EC) No 338/97 allows for import restrictions on specimens of species
which have a high mortality rate during shipment or for which it has been established that they are
unlikely to survive well in captivity (Article 4 6 c)). A certain number of import restrictions taken on this
basis are in place and published in a Commission Regulation (5).

As a result of the Single Market, internal border controls have been abolished and stricter trade control
measures have been adopted at the Community(cid:146)s external borders. Stricter trade measures by individual
Member States are not possible under the Council Regulation. However, Member States have the option of
adopting stricter measures with regard to the prohibition of possession of certain animals. It is the
Commission(cid:146)s opinion however that the existing Community Regulations on trade in wildlife give the
appropriate tools for the conservation and the protection of species of wild fauna and flora.

(1) OJ L 61, 3.3.1997.
(2) OJ L 140, 30.5.1997.
(3) Commission Communication OJ C 356, 8.12.1999.
(4) Council Directive 92/65/EEC of 13 July 1992 laying down animal health requirements governing trade in and
imports into the Community of animals, semen, ova and embryos not subject to animal health requirements laid
down in specific Community rules referred to in Annex A (I) to Directive 90/425/EEC (OJ L 268, 14.9.1992).

(5) OJ L 29, 30.1.2001.