CELEX: 51976PC0713
Language: en
Date: 1976-01-03 00:00:00
Title: RECOMMENDATION FOR A COUNCIL DECISION concerning negociations for the Community as such to accede to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild Flora and Fauna (submitted to the Council by the Commission)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (76) 713
Vol. 1976/0211
 ---pagebreak--- Disclaimer
Conformément 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
règlement.
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 Economic
Community and the European Atomic Energy Community (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 Atomgemeinschaft (ABI. L 43 vom 15.2.1983,
S. 1), geändert durch die Verordnung (EG, Euratom) Nr. 1700/2003 vom 22. September 2003
(ABI. L 243 vom 27.9.2003, S. 1), ist diese Datei der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich. Soweit
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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                     COM(76)713 final.
                                     Brussels . 3 January 1977 *
                  RECOMMENDATION FOR A COUNCIL DECISION
  concerning negociations for the Community    as such to accede to the
  Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild Flora
                               and Fauna
              ( submitted to the Council "by the Commission)
  CCM(76) 713 final
 ---pagebreak--- 1. A major method of protecting wild species of flora and fauna threatened
   with extinction is the strict restriction and control of international
   trade in animals and plants of these speoies and products obtained
   from them#
   The Washington Convention of 3 March 1973 meets this requirement .
   It aims to safeguard some eight hundred species of wild flora and fauna
   by reducing commercial pressures leading to their capture and
   destruction.
   The Convention came into foroe on 1 July 1975*      By 1 December 1976 all
   nine Member States of the Community had signed the Convention and two
   had ratified it . In the remaining Member States the ratification
   procedure is in progress .
2. For the purpose of protecting such species the Convention uses
   instruments of commercial policy such as bans , restriction or control
   of imports and exports of the products in question. Henee , under the
   Convention , the various trading operations in these species and in
   products obtained from them (importation, exportation, re-exportation
   landing from the sea)are subject to a licensing system, under which the
   granting of permission is related to the rarity of the speoies and to
   their ultimate commercial use .    The Convention requires each
   contracting party to designate an authority empowered to issue licences*
3. Varying applications by the Member States of this complex system could
   create barriers cto trade and distorsion of competition at the
   Community level due to the differing degrees of strictness with which
   the Conventions provisions are enforced, in particular those oonoerning
   the ident ificat 6pn pf the s^eo^msBspfiftthese speoies and produots obtained
   from them.
 ---pagebreak---     Par from being purely theoretical , these problems could have an
    economic impact of undoubted importance , since produots such as skins ,
    leather and furs are generally of high value .
4»  The application of the Convention falls within the Community's
    competence to a very ISuige extent tinder Article 113 of the ESS Treaty.
    It follows that the Member States should not separately undertake to
    apply the whole range of measures covered by the Convention and that
    the Community should also beoome a contracting party and participate in
    the administration of the agreement .    Furthermore , by approving the
    environment programme of the European Communities for the period
    1977-81 1 the Counoil acknowledged this situation.
                                *    *    *
Therefore the Commission reoommends the adoption of the attaohed draft
decision to the Council .
 ---pagebreak---                             RECOMMENDATION FOR A
                             COUNCIL DECISION OP
The Council of the European Communities
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,
and in particular to article 113 thereof ,
Having regard to the recommendation of the Commission,
1 * Considering the Council Resolution of 9 December 197 6 on "the
    continuation and implementation of a European Community policy and
    action programme on the environment ;
2,  Whereas that programme emphasizes that the whole Community is concerned
    with the protection of wild flora and fauna and that the application of
    the Convention on international trade in endangered species of wild
    flora and fauna is an important measure for protecting them ;
3.  Whereas , to achieve its objectives , that Convention resorts mainly to
    measures of commercial polioy by imposing restrictions and strict
?   control of international trade in animals and plants of endangered
    species and^ products obtained from them;
4*  Whereas the existence in the Member States of non–harmonized
    implementing measures might produce distortions of competition and
    barriers to trade within the Community;
5«  Whereas the accession of the Community as such to this Convention is
    necessary for the foregoing reasons and taking into account the
    competence of the Community in this field;                t
Has adopted this decision :
 ---pagebreak---                                 Single Article
  The Commission is hereby authorized to open negotiations with a view to
  the accession of the Community to the Convention on International Crade
  in Ihdangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna.
  The Commission shall conduct these negociations in consultation with the
. Special Committee referred to in article 113 of the iSEC Treaty and in
  accordance with any directives which the Council may issue to it .