Considerations on COM(2017)628 - EU position in the Standing Committee of the Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats with regard to an amendment to Appendix II thereto

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dossier COM(2017)628 - EU position in the Standing Committee of the Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats with ...
document COM(2017)628 EN
date October 30, 2017
 
(1) The Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats (Bern Convention) ('the Agreement') was concluded by the Union by Council Decision 82/72/EEC3 and entered into force on 1 June 1982. This Agreement aims to conserve European wild flora and fauna and their natural habitats, especially those whose conservation requires the co-operation of several States. It is an intergovernmental treaty, concluded under the aegis of the Council of Europe.

(2) Pursuant to Article 17 of the Agreement, the Standing Committee may adopt a decision to amend the appendices to the Agreement.

(3) The Standing Committee, during its thirty-seventh meeting on 5 to 8 December 2017, is to adopt a decision on amending Appendix II to the Agreement.

(4) It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union's behalf in the Standing Committee, as the decision will be binding on the Union.

(5) The Union should support the proposal to add the Balkan lynx, Lynx lynx spp. balcanicus to Appendix II to the Agreement, a subspecies of the Eurasian lynx, Lynx lynx already in Appendix III to the Agreement, because it is science-based, in line with the Union's commitment to international cooperation for the protection of biodiversity in accordance with Article 5 of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and decisions taken at the Conference of the Parties under that Convention, in particular with the global target agreed at the Tenth meeting of preventing by 2020 the extinction of known threatened species and improving and sustaining their conservation status, particularly of those most in decline.

OJ L 38, 10.2.1982, p. 1.

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(6) The Eurasian Lynx, Lynx lynx is already listed in Annex II and Annex IV to Council

Directive 92/43/19924, hence adding the subspecies Balkan lynx Lynx lynx spp. balcanicus to Appendix II to the Agreement would not require any change in Union law.