TNAG-1955-FCO40-2784-Trade-of-rare-and-endangered-species-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 189

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BACKGROUND NOTE

PQ 3966/88/89

1. The Environment Council accepted in principle the UK Government's call for an immediate ban on the import into the

Community of raw and worked ivory. However, Denmark was unable to agree formally to the proposal because of the need for them to obtain the prior approval of their Parliament. It was therefore agreed that member states should be invited to bring in their own measures in advance of Community action. A ban on the import into the UK of raw and worked ivory was introduced with effect from 9 June, pending decisions on a long term strategy for conserving the African elephant which are to be considered at the

CITES Conference in October.

2. The EC CITES Committee will be meeting on Thursday 22 June to consider a draft regulation imposing a Community-wide ban on ivory imports.

3. The Government has also announced that it supports the case for transferring the African Elephant from Appendix II to Appendix I of CITES, and the Environment Council also endorsed this line. The effect of Appendix I listing would normally be to prohibit all commercial trade in the species concerned.

However,

there is some difference of opinion within CITES about the efficacy of Appendix I listing, and both the Commission and the CITES Secretariat are concerned that such a move could prove

counter-productive.