The CITES Secretariat was pleased to welcome the European Union as the 181st Party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The European Union is a regional economic integration organization (REIO) with 28 Member States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The third of March was also the day of adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973. The CITES Secretariat coordinated the WWD celebrations around the world.

The European Union became the first REIO to accede to the Convention since the coming into effect of the Gaborone amendment to the text of the Convention on 29 November 2013. This amendment allowed for the accession of REIOs, provided they are constituted by sovereign States competent in respect of the negotiation, conclusion and implementation of international agreements in matters transferred to them by their Member States and covered by the Convention.

The Convention will enter into force for the European Union on 8 July 2015.

For more information: juan.vasquez@cites.org