EU legislation: Endangered species (CITES)

If you are an exporter of wild flora, fauna, or products thereof, you should take into account the provisions laid down by CITES in order to guarantee the EU entry of your products. Based on CITES the trade of specimen of certain (endangered) listed animals, plants, or products containing material from these species (e.g. leather articles, handicrafts, jewellery, flowers, plants, furniture, and antiques) is prohibited or restricted.

As a result, the EU prohibits the import of specimen of certain endangered species. For specimen of other species, the import is under certain circumstances allowed but only if the shipment is accompanied by official documentation: (re-)export permits, import permits, or import notifications.

This document provides some information on the EU requirements relating to endangered species and products derived thereof. It furthermore contains a step-by-step plan and an import process flow chart. It is recommended to follow these steps when exporting specimen of endangered species to the EU in order to prevent your products to be confiscated upon EU entry.