Study on the Effectiveness of the EC Wildlife Trade Regulations
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TRAFFIC Report to the European Commission Study on the Effectiveness of the EC Wildlife Trade Regulations FINAL REPORT December 2007 Under Contract to the European Commission: 07010401/2006/437522/ETU/E.2 TRAFFIC Report to the European Commission Report prepared by TRAFFIC Europe for the European Commission in completion of Contract 07010401/2006/437522/ETU/E.2 All material appearing in this publication is copyrighted and may be produced with permission. Any reproduction in full or in part of this publication must credit the European Commission as the copyright owner. The views of the author expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the European Commission or the TRAFFIC network, WWF or IUCN. The designations of geographical entities in this publication, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the European Commission, TRAFFIC or its supporting organizations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The TRAFFIC symbol copyright and Registered Trademark ownership is held by WWF. TRAFFIC is a joint programme of WWF and IUCN. Suggested citation: Ó Críodáin, C. (2007). Study on the Effectiveness of the EC Wildlife Trade Regulations. A TRAFFIC Europe report for the European Commission, Brussels, Belgium. TRAFFIC Report to the European Commission CONTENTS NOTE ON AUTHORSHIP............................................................................................................................................1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................................................................2 TABLE OF ACRONYMS..............................................................................................................................................3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................................4 1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................................9 1.1 BACKGROUND...................................................................................................................................................9 1.2 THE PRESENT STUDY.................................................................................................................................12 2. METHODS..................................................................................................................................................................14 2.1 OPINION SURVEYS .................................................................................................................................14 2.1.1 SURVEY OF TRADERS’ VIEWS...............................................................................................14 2.1.2 OPINIONS OF MEMBER STATES’ AUTHORITIES AND COST/ BENEFIT ANALYSIS..........................................................................................................................................15 2.2 ASSESSMENT OF LEGAL ISSUES...................................................................................................15 2.2.2 INTERPRETATION AND ADMINISTRATION.......................................................................15 2.2.3 IMPACT OF MEMBER STATES’ STRICTER MEASURES.............................................15 2.3 ASSESSMENT OF CONSERVATION IMPACT ............................................................................16 2.3.1 IMPACT ON PRIORITY SPECIES AND ISSUES................................................................16 2.3.2 IMPACT ON ASSISTANCE GIVEN TO RANGE STATES...............................................16 2.4 ANALYSIS OF GAPS AND NEEDS AND ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS...........................16 2.4.1 NEEDS ANALYSIS AND DEVELOPMENT OF OPTIONS...............................................16 2.4.2 ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS......................................................................................................16 3. OUTCOMES ..............................................................................................................................................................17 3.1 SURVEY OF TRADERS’ VIEWS.........................................................................................................19 3.1.1 OUTCOME OF THE SURVEY.....................................................................................................19 3.1.2 POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO TRADERS’ CONCERNS.....................................................25 3.2 SURVEY OF MEMBER STATES’ MANAGEMENT, SCIENTIFIC AND ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES......................................................................................................................27 3.2.1 RESOURCE-INTENSIVE ISSUES FOR MANAGEMENT AUTHORITIES......................................................................................................................................................27 3.2.2 RESOURCE-INTENSIVE ISSUES FOR SCIENTIFIC AUTHORITIES.......................28 3.2.4 RESOURCE-INTENSIVE ISSUES FOR POLICE AND WILDLIFE INSPECTORATES ..............................................................................................................................................29 3.3 COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS ..................................................................................................................31 3.3.1 IDENTIFICATION OF TIME-CONSUMING TASKS AND CATEGORIES OF SPECIMENS ..................................................................................................................................................31 3.3.2 VIEWS OF THE MEMBER STATES .........................................................................................33 3.4 ANALYSIS OF THE EC WILDLIFE TRADE REGULATIONS: ISSUES OF COMPATIBILITY WITH THE CONVENTION ...............................................................................................38 3.4.1 IMPLEMENTATION OF AMENDMENTS TO THE APPENDICES AND COP RESOLUTIONS.........................................................................................................................................38 3.4.2 ISSUES RELATING TO EC STRICTER MEASURES.......................................................40 3.4.3 TEXTUAL ALIGNMENT OF THE REGULATIONS WITH CORRESPONDING PROVISIONS IN THE CONVENTION AND RELEVANT RESOLUTIONS....................................................................................................................................................40 3.4.4 COHERENCY OF THE EC WILDLIFE TRADE REGULATIONS WITH OTHER INTERNATIONAL TREATIES .......................................................................................................40 3.5 ANALYSIS OF THE EC WILDLIFE TRADE REGULATIONS: ISSUES OF COMPATIBILITY WITH THE BIRDS AND HABITATS DIRECTIVES ................................................42 3.5.1 ALIGNMENT OF ANNEX A WITH THE SPECIES PROTECTION PROVISIONS OF THE DIRECTIVES .........................................................................................................42 TRAFFIC Report to the European Commission 3.5.2 OTHER INCONSISTENCIES OR AREAS WHERE THERE IS SCOPE FOR CONFUSION ..............................................................................................................................................42 3.6 ANALYSIS OF THE EC WILDLIFE TRADE REGULATIONS: LEGAL, INTERPRETATION AND IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES ..........................................................................44 3.6.1 DEFINITION ISSUES ......................................................................................................................44 3.6.2 PERSONAL AND HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS ..........................................................................55 3.6.3 MARKING .............................................................................................................................................56 3.6.4 INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES (IAS).............................................................................................58 3.6.5 TRADE IN ANNEX A SPECIES AND PROOF OF LEGAL ORIGIN.............................59 3.6.6 SANCTIONS........................................................................................................................................66 3.6.7 “ANIMAL WELFARE” ISSUES.....................................................................................................67 3.6.8 CAVIAR-RELATED ISSUES.........................................................................................................69 3.6.9 CODE ISSUES ...................................................................................................................................72 3.6.10 ENTRY POINTS AND TRANSIT PROCEDURES ...............................................................74 3.6.11 RESTROSPECTIVE PERMITS ...................................................................................................76 3.6.12 RE-EXPORT CERTIFICATES .....................................................................................................77 3.6.13 ILLEGAL TRADE AND REGISTRATION ...............................................................................78 3.6.14 MANAGEMENT AUTHORITIES AND SCIENTIFIC AUTHORITIES...........................80 3.6.15 ENFORCEMENT GROUP.............................................................................................................81