Trade in wildlife: EU satisfied with outcome of important conference

The EU Presidency and the European Commission said on 13 October 2004 that they were satisfied with the outcome of the 13th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Bangkok, Thailand. The Parties agreed to all major points that the EU was promoting to protect a number of endangered species and to ensure sustainable wildlife trade.

Over two weeks, more than 150 governments discussed some 50 proposals concerning trade in endangered species, from the African elephant, to the ramin timber tree, to the European date mussel. They also took a number of important decisions regarding the implementation and management of the Convention and synergies with other environmental conventions, notably the Convention on Biological Diversity.