TNAG-1954-FCO40-2783-Trade-of-rare-and-endangered-species-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 98

toto ePA

95

Dr Shaw EPINT

Room A312

Romney House

cc PS/Mrs Bottomley

PS/Secretary of State

Mrs Ramsay

Mr Rock

Mr Bunce

Mr Folland

Mr Green

Mr Jeffrey, FCO

Ms Elliot, FCO

Dr Rundell, ODA

Ms Turner, DTI

HKCIS1l

Ј

ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL 8-9 JUNE 1989

1. I attach briefing for the Environment council on baby seals and the African elephant.

2.

For the African elephant I have included speaking notes and bull points for use in answering questions from the media, but have not provided background notes as Lord Caithness will be familiar with the issues following his recent to Africa, At the Council, Lord Caithness will wish to call on his EC colleagues to support 3 proposals:

visit

3.

a.

the

CITES;

transfer of the African elephant from Appendix II to Appendix I of

UK

Resolution calling for the introduction of Appendix I controls (if agreed) immediately after the Conference rather than await the 90 days laid down in the Convention; and

b.

the

c. the introduction of an immediate ban on the import of new ivory into the European Community. The EC already implements a ban on the import of both raw and worked ivory from 19 African countries under Article 1 0.1.b of EC Regulation 3626/82. The scope of this ban could be widened to cover all countries.

The EC CITES Committee is due to meet on 22 June to discuss what line the

Community should take at the CITES Conference concerning the African elephant. By virtue of the EC REgulations which implement CITES in the EC we are required to agree a common line with

our European partners on this issue. At that meeting we shall be able to discuss the details of a European ban and the precise terms of the Resolution.

Im aneh ume

IG MUCHMORE

31 May 1989