Commission Regulation (EC) No 605/2006 of 19 April 2006 amending Regulation (EC) No 349/2003 suspending the introduction into the Community of specimens of certain species of wild fauna and flora

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 of 9 December 1996 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein^f1 and in particular Article 19(2) thereof,

After consulting the Scientific Review Group,

Whereas:

Article 4(6) of Regulation (EC) No 338/97 provides that the Commission may establish restrictions to the introduction of certain species into the Community in accordance with the conditions laid down in points (a) to (d) thereof. Furthermore, implementing measures for such restrictions have been laid down in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1808/2001 of 30 August 2001 laying down detailed rules concerning the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 of the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein^f2.

A list of species for which the introduction into the Community is suspended was established in Commission Regulation (EC) No 349/2003 of 25 February 2003 suspending the introduction into the Community of specimens of certain species of wild fauna and flora^f3.

On the basis of recent information, the Scientific Review Group has concluded that the conservation status of certain species listed in Annexes A and B to Regulation (EC) No 338/97 will be seriously jeopardised if their introduction into the Community from certain countries of origin is not suspended. The introduction of the following species should therefore be suspended: Ursus thibetanus from the Russian Federation; Cryptoprocta ferox, Scaphiophryne gottlebei, Euphorbia banae and E. kondoi from Madagascar; Panthera leo from Ethiopia; Balaeniceps rex, Grus carunculatus and Chamaeleo fuelleborni from the United Republic of Tanzania; Poicephalus gulielmi from Congo; Accipiter melanoleucus, A. ovampensis, Aviceda cuculoides, Hieraaetus ayresii, H. spilogaster, Macheiramphus alcinus, Spizaetus africanus, Urotriorchis macrourus, Falco chicquera, Asio capensis, Bubo lacteus, B. poensis, Glaucidium perlatum, Scotopelia peli and Python regius from Guinea; Sagittarius serpentarius and Varanus exanthematicus from Togo; Agapornis pullarius from the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Cuora galbinifrons from China; Heosemys spinosa, Leucocephalon yuwonoi, Siebenrockiella crassicollis, Liasis fuscus, Euphyllia cristata, E. divisa, E. fimbriata, Hydnophora microconos and Scolymia vitiensis from Indonesia; Geochelone pardalis from Uganda and Zambia; Uromastyx geyri from Mali and Niger; Cordylus mossambicus, C. vittifer, Tridacna maxima and T. squamosa from Mozambique; Dendrobates pumilio from Nicaragua; Hippopus hippopus from Vanuatu; Hippopus hippopus, Tridacna gigas and T. maxima from Tonga and Vietnam; Tridacna crocea, T. derasa, T. maxima and T. squamosa from Fiji and Vanuatu; Tridacna crocea from Tonga; Tridacna maxima from the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands; Tridacna tevoroa from Tonga and Catalaphyllia jardinei from the Solomon Islands.

The Scientific Review Group has also concluded that, on the basis of the most recent available information, the suspension of the introduction into the Community of the following species should no longer be required: Galago senegalensis from Djibouti; Galagoides demidoff from Kenya and Senegal; Callithrix argentata from Paraguay; Saguinus labiatus from Colombia; Callicebus torquatus from Ecuador; Cebus albifrons from Guyana; Cebus capucinus and Aratinga solstitialis from Venezuela; Cebus olivaceus from Peru; Allenopithecus nigroviridis from all range States; Colobus guereza from Equatorial Guinea; Lophocebus albigena from Kenya; Papio hamadryas and Hippopotamus amphibius from Liberia; Cynogale bennettii from Singapore; Ara ararauna from Trinidad and Tobago; Neophema splendida from Australia; Poicephalus gulielmi from Democratic Republic of the Congo; Geochelone chilensis, Homopus areolatus, H. boulengeri, H. femoralis, H. signatus, Kinixys natalensis and Psammobates spp. from all range States; Geochelone denticulata from all range States except for Bolivia and Ecuador; Geochelone elegans from all range States except for Pakistan; Kinixys belliana from all range States except for Mozambique and Benin; Kinixys erosa from all range States except for Togo; Kinixys homeana from all range States except for Benin; Manouria emys from all range States except for Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand; Testudo horsfieldii from all range States except for China, Pakistan and Kazakhstan; Manouria impressa from all range States except for Vietnam; Phelsuma cepediana and P. trilineata from Madagascar; Phelsuma edwardnewtonii from Mauritius; Varanus albigularis from Lesotho; Varanus rudicollis from the Philippines; Ptyas mucosus from Indonesia and Dactylorhiza incarnata from Norway.

Regulation (EC) No 338/97 as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1332/2005 provides inter alia for the transfer of Cacatua sulphurea and Pyxis arachnoides from Annex B to Annex A and the deletion from the Annexes of Agapornis roseicollis, therefore, import suspensions in respect of those species should no longer be required.

The countries of origin of the species which are subject to new restrictions to introduction into the Community pursuant to this Regulation have all been consulted.

The Annex to Regulation (EC) No 349/2003 should therefore be amended accordingly and, for clarity purposes, replaced.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee on Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: