Import and Export legislation - Ornamental Fish International

Ornamental Fish International
(ii)
- whose listing in the Annex for
reasons of similarity in
appearance to other species
listed in Annex A or Annex B,
is essential in order to ensure
the effectiveness of controls
on trade in specimens of
such species;
- species in relation to which it
has been established that the
introduction of live specimens
into the natural habitat of the
Community would constitute
an ecological threat to wild
species of fauna and flora
indigenous to the Community.
Annex C
(a) the species listed in Appendix III to
the Convention, other than those
listed in Annexes A or B, for which
the Member States have not
entered a reservation;
(b) the species listed in Appendix II to
the Convention for which a
reservation has been entered.
Annex D
(a) species not listed in Annexes A to
C which are imported into the
Community in such numbers as to
warrant monitoring;
(b) the species listed in Appendix III to
the Convention for which a
reservation has been entered.
Procedures
Also the procedures for imports into
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Legislation
the EU are not the same as for other
countries in the world. An export
permit is of course needed for every
import into the EU. With the export
permit the importer applies for an
import permit from that national CITES
management authority.
Europe has introduced two levels of
scientific committees, the national
scientific committee and the scientific
review group (SRG), which consists of
representatives from the national
scientific committees. They decide on
amendments to the Annexes, but also
decide on "negative opinion" regarding
the import of certain species from
certain locations. Every few years the
negative opinions are published by the
EU in a Regulation. Those species for
which a negative opinion has been
formulated are not allowed to be
imported. All up-to-date species
information, including legal status and
any negative opinions may be found
on: http://sea.unep-wcmc.org/eu/
Taxonomy/index.cfm.
In an application for an import permit,
the national management authority will
compare the application with the
annexes and with the negative
opinions. If deemed necessary, the
national management authority may
send the application to the national
scientific committee, which checks
whether the import of the species will
not endanger survival of the species,
and whether all other criteria are met.
The national scientific committee can
refuse an import permit.