Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be taken in the thirty-eighth meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats

Summary:

On 31 October 2018 the European Commission presented a proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be adopted on behalf of the Union regarding proposed amendments to the Appendices to the Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats.

Further information:

The 1979 Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats (Bern Convention) aims to conserve European wild flora and fauna and their natural habitats, especially those whose conservation requires the co-operation of several states. It is an intergovernmental treaty, concluded under the aegis of the Council of Europe. The Agreement entered into force on 1 June 1982.

The Standing Committee is the decision-making organ of the Convention having powers to assess the conservation status of species and, subsequently, to review the listing of them in the Appendices to the Convention. On 27-30 November 2018, the thirty-eighth annual meeting of the Standing Committee is expected to adopt a decision regarding amendments to Appendix II and Appendix III to the Agreement.

Two amendments of the appendices of the Agreement have been proposed:
(1) Switzerland has proposed to lower the level of protection for the Wolf (Canis lupus) by moving it from Appendix II (strictly protected fauna species) to Appendix III (protected fauna species – regulation is possible).
(2) Norway has submitted a proposal to move the Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis) from Appendix II (strictly protected fauna species) to Appendix III (protected fauna species – regulation is possible).