Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/870 of 5 June 2015 amending, as regards the trade in species of wild fauna and flora, Regulation (EC) No 865/2006 laying down detailed rules concerning the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 of 9 December 1996 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein (1), and in particular Article 19(2), (3) and (4) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) In order to implement certain Resolutions adopted at the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) (3 – 14 March 2013), hereinafter ‘the Convention’, certain provisions should be amended and further provisions should be added to Commission Regulation (EC) No 865/2006 (2).

(2) In particular, in line with CITES Resolution Conf. 16.8, specific provisions designed to simplify the non-commercial cross-border movement of musical instruments should be inserted.

(3) Experience gained in the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 865/2006, in conjunction with Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 792/2012 (3), has shown that some provisions therein should be amended in order to ensure that the Regulation is implemented in a harmonised and efficient manner within the Union. This is the case in particular in relation to the first introduction into the Union of hunting trophies of specimens of some species or populations listed in Annex B to Regulation (EC) No 338/97, for which there are concerns as to the sustainability of trade in hunting trophies or for which there are indications of significant illegal trade. In such cases, more stringent control of imports into the Union is necessary and the derogation set out in Article 7(3) of Regulation (EC) No 338/97 for personal and household effects should therefore not apply. Experience in implementing Regulation (EC) No 865/2006 has also shown that it was necessary to clarify that import permits should not be issued by Member States in cases where, despite a request to this end, they do not obtain satisfactory information from the exporting or re-exporting country as to the legality of the specimens to be imported into the EU.

(4) At the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, the standard references for nomenclature were updated. These references are used to indicate scientific names of species in permits and certificates. Those changes should be reflected in Annex VIII to Regulation (EC) No 865/2006.

(5) Regulation (EC) No 865/2006 should be amended accordingly.

(6) As this Regulation should be used in conjunction with Implementing Regulation (EU) No 792/2012, it is important that both Regulations apply as of the same day.

(7) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee on Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora.

(8) Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/56 (4) has been adopted without submission of the draft measure for scrutiny to the Council. In order to remedy this omission, the Commission repeals Regulation (EU) 2015/56 and replaces it by the present Regulation which was submitted in draft for scrutiny to the European Parliament and the Council. Acts adopted under Regulation (EU) 2015/56 remain valid,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Regulation (EC) No 865/2006 is amended as follows:

(2) In Article 4(1), the second subparagraph is replaced by the following: ‘However, applications for import and export permits, for re-export certificates, for the certificates provided for in Articles 5(2)(b), 5(3), 5(4), 8(3) and 9(2)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 338/97, for personal ownership certificates, for sample collection certificates, for musical instrument certificates and for travelling exhibition certificates as well as import notifications, continuation sheets and labels may be completed in manuscript, provided this is done legibly, in ink and in block capitals.’

(3) In Article 7, the following paragraph 6 is added: ‘6.   Export permits and re-export certificates issued by third countries shall be accepted only if the competent authority from the third country concerned provides, where requested to do so, satisfactory information that the specimens were obtained in accordance with the legislation on the protection of the species concerned.’

(4) Article 9 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 9 Shipments of specimens Without prejudice to Articles 31, 38, 44b, 44i and 44p, a separate import permit, import notification, export permit or re-export certificate shall be issued for each shipment of specimens shipped together as part of one load.’

(7) In Article 14, the second paragraph is replaced by the following: ‘However, certificates of origin for specimens of species listed in Annex C to Regulation (EC) No 338/97 may be used for the introduction of specimens into the Union until 12 months from their date of issue and travelling exhibition certificates, personal ownership certificates and musical instrument certificates may be used for the introduction of specimens into the Union and for the purpose of applying for respective certificates in accordance with Articles 30, 37 and 44h of this Regulation until three years from their date of issue.’

(13) In Article 66(6), the following second subparagraph is added: ‘Caviar from different Acipenseriformes species shall not be mixed into a primary container, except in the case of pressed caviar (i.e. caviar composed of unfertilized eggs (roe) of one or more sturgeon or paddlefish species, remaining after the processing and preparation of higher quality caviar).’

(14) In Article 72, paragraph 3 is replaced by the following: ‘3.   Member States may continue to issue import and export permits, re-export certificates, travelling exhibition and personal ownership certificates in the forms laid out in Annexes I, III and IV, import notifications in the form laid out in Annex II and EU certificates in the form laid out in Annex V to Implementing Regulation (EU) No 792/2012 for one year after the entry into force of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/57(1). (1)  Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/57 of 15 January 2015 amending Implementing Regulation (EU) No 792/2012 as regards the rules for the design of permits, certificates and other documents provided for in Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein and in Commission Regulation (EC) No 865/2006 laying down detailed rules concerning the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 (OJ L 10, 16.1.2015, p. 19).’ "

(15) The Annexes are amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

It shall apply from 5 February 2015.

Regulation (EU) 2015/56 is repealed with effect from the entry into force of this Regulation.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 5 June 2015.

For the Commission The President Jean-Claude JUNCKER

(1) OJ L 61, 3.3.1997, p. 1.

(2) Commission Regulation (EC) No 865/2006 of 4 May 2006 laying down detailed rules concerning the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein (OJ L 166, 19.6.2006, p. 1).

(3) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 792/2012 of 23 August 2012 laying down rules for the design of permits, certificates and other documents provided for in Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein and amending Commission Regulation (EC) No 865/2006 (OJ L 242, 7.9.2012, p. 13).

(4) Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/56 of 15 January 2015 amending, as regards the trade in species of wild fauna and flora, Regulation (EC) No 865/2006 laying down detailed rules concerning the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 (OJ L 10, 16.1.2015, p. 1).