International trade of endangered species

CURRENT

EU has already strict rules in ivory trade, but aims to ban most of the EU trade in ivory.

Revised guidance document - EU regime governing trade in ivory (EU Commission)

EU regime governing trade in ivory

Factsheet

Ivory trade in the EU - Strict rules to protect elephants in the wild (pdf)

New Species Regulation has been published by the EU Commission on December 16, 2021.

Commission Regulation (EU) 2021/2280

UNITED KINGDOM and BREXIT

Note that the CITES rules changed January 1, 2021.

Links/EU

Links/UK

CITES Convention – The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora – regulates the international trade in more than 30,000 endangered species. Purpose of the Convention is to protect endangered species of fauna and flora through controls on international trade in endangered specimens. The Convention has 183 parties.

CITES prohibits trade in almost 900 species threatened with extinction, while trade in the remaining 35,000 species covered by CITES is permitted but strictly controlled. Animals and plants covered by CITES, as well as their parts and products made from them, have to be accompanied by an official CITES document, that has to be obtained in advance. Look for the address to your own country's CITES authorities at the web pages of the CITES Secretariat.

World Wildlife Day

CITES permitting in Finland

The Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) is the permitting authority in Finland, issuing permits and certificates for import, and (re)export to and from Finland. The form for import and (re)export together with instructions may be downloaded from this page. The forms are editable and printable pdf-files.

Certificates for travelling exhibitions

Application form for travelling exhibition (pdf)

Print, fill and sign the application forms, or fill, sign and print. Add the attachments needed and send the application and attachments to the CITES permit office at Finnish Environment Institute SYKE. The postal address is below and on the application forms.

CITES in Finland

Finland joined CITES in 1976. Nowadays the national legislation for the implementation of CITES and relating EU regulations is the Nature Conservation Act (1096/1996), which came into force in the 1^st of January 1997.

According to the act the Ministry of the Environment is designated as the Management Authority. However, the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) is designated the competent authority in all matters concerning the issuance of permits and certificates. The Finnish Museum of Natural History of the University of Helsinki (LUOMUS) is the designated Scientific Authority.

It is the duty of the Customs to enforce the regulations in importation, exportation, re-exportation and transit transports. According to the Finnish Penal Code the maximum penalty for nature conservation offences is 2 years of imprisonment. What has illegally been gained or its corresponding monetary value shall be sentenced to be forfeited to the State.

CITES Customs procedure