09 / INSIGHT
BREXIT AND CITES
Noeleen Smyth explains how Brexit will impact the import and export of rare plants between the UK and Ireland
T
he UK Government’s formal rejection in June, of a Brexit transition period extension means that movement of CITES-listed plant and animal species between our two countries will need import/export permits following the UK’s exit from the EU on December 31, 2020. The movement of listed plant and animal species has not been an issue up until now, as the UK were part of the EU; however from January 1, 2021, the rules will change. This will impact your business significantly if you regularly source CITES-listed plants and bulb species such as snowdrops and orchids from UK nurseries. The UK nursery will need to get CITES export permits from the UK CITES Management Authority and you as an importer may have to get import permits from the Irish CITES Management Authority. As the UK CITES charge for export permits this may add to the cost of your import if the charge is passed on to the importer. The Irish CITES Management Authority does not charge for permits. For a quick way to find out if the plant you are dealing in and wish to import (or export) is CITES listed, or if you want to know what species are listed, you should access https://speciesplus.net/. Species+ is updated after each CITES and EU CITES trade meeting, and is managed by the United National Environment Programme at the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Species+ incorporates the latest EU CITES regulations to take account of the changes and decisions made at each CITES Conference. If you have any queries on imports or exports of listed species they can be directed to the CITES Management
This will impact your business significantly if you regularly source CITES-listed plants and bulb species such as snowdrops and orchids from UK nurseries.”
CITES APPENDIX II ECHINOCEREUS BRANDGEEI.
Authority based in Smithfield, Dublin. (https://www.npws. ie/licences/importexport-trade/cites).
CITES BACKGROUND Ireland and the EU continue to import and export large quantities of wild-sourced plant species; part of international trade in wildlife and wildlife products currently estimated to be worth billions CITES APPENDIX II DENDROBIUM PIERARDII. of euros. Wild plants and animals are imported as live for the pet and horticultural industries, or as parts for use in cosmetics, perfumes, food supplements, musical instrument, timber and medicines. Garden centres are now lifestyle centres selling furniture and even what were traditional hardware stores now sell plants and pets too. Horticulture has expanded into new horizons and new industries have branched, literally, into horticulture. CITES (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora), came into force in July 1, 1975. Today, over 183 countries (or parties) have agreed to enforce and uphold the Convention which regulates trade in rare and endangered species of wild plants and animals. Plant species make up the majority of CITES-listed species. Today, over 30,000 plant and 6,000 animal species and subspecies are listed on the three different CITES lists or appendices. This means you may need a CITES permit to import and export any of the species listed. For a species to be listed on CITES it has to meet two
Summer 2020 / www.horticultureconnected.ie / HORTICULTURECONNECTED
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