Explanatory Memorandum to COM(2017)455 - EU position on proposals amending appendices of the Convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals at the 12th meeting of the Conference of the Parties - Main contents
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This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2017)455 - EU position on proposals amending appendices of the Convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals at ... |
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| source | COM(2017)455  |
| date | 28-08-2017 |
1. Subject-matter of the proposal
The present proposal concerns the decision establishing the position to be adopted on behalf of the Union in the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals in connection with the envisaged adoption of a decision concerning amendments of the appendices of the Convention.
2. Context of the proposal
2.1.The Convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals
The Convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals (‘the Agreement’) aims to conserve terrestrial, marine and avian migratory species throughout their range. It is an intergovernmental treaty, concluded under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme, concerned with the conservation of wildlife and habitats on a global scale. The Agreement entered into force on 1 November, 1983. Currently there are 124 Parties to the Agreement. The European Union is a party to the Agreement since 1 November, 1983. 1 All Member States are parties to the Agreement.
2.2.The Conference of the Parties
The Conference of the Parties is the principal decision-making body of the Agreement. Its functions are enumerated in Article VII of the Agreement, including powers to assess the conservation status of migratory species and, subsequently, to amend Appendices to the Agreement. It meets every three years. Decisions at a meeting of the Conference of the Parties require a two-thirds majority of the Parties present and voting, except where otherwise provided for by this Agreement.
The mandate for the Union’s position concerning amendments of the appendices is given by a decision of the Council based on a proposal from the Commission. The EU common positions concerning other draft decisions and resolutions are agreed in prior meetings of the relevant Council working party or at on-the-spot EU coordination meetings.
2.3.The envisaged act of the Conference of the Parties
On 23-28 October, 2017 during its twelfth meeting in Manila, the Philippines, the Conference of the Parties is to adopt a decision regarding amendments of the appendices of the Agreement (‘the envisaged act’).
In accordance with Article XI of the Agreement, proposals for amendment may be made by any Party. An amendment to the Appendices enters into force for all Parties ninety days after the meeting of the Conference of the Parties at which it is adopted, except for those Parties which make a reservation.
The purpose of the envisaged act is to amend Appendix I and Appendix II of the Agreement, as provided for in Article XI of the Agreement. Amendments are adopted by a two-thirds majority of Parties present and voting.
The envisaged act shall become binding on the parties in accordance with Article III of the Agreement, which provides that Appendix I shall list migratory species which are endangered and that Parties that are Range States of the species concerned shall endeavour to take various conservation measures and shall prohibit the taking of animals belonging to such species.
Article IV to the Agreement stipulates that Appendix II shall list migratory species which have an unfavourable conservation status and which require international agreements for their conservation and management, as well as those which have a conservation status which would significantly benefit from the international cooperation that could be achieved by an international agreement. If the circumstances so warrant, a migratory species may be listed both in Appendix I and Appendix II.
3. Position to be adopted on behalf of the Union
The twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Agreement will take place in Manila (the Philippines) from 23 to 28 October 2017. For this meeting, the Union proposed to amend Appendix II to the Agreement to add the bird species Lanius excubitor excubitor and Lanius minor.
Other Parties to the Convention have submitted proposals to amend Appendices I and II to the Convention for the species Pan paniscus, Pan troglodytes, Equus africanus, Equus ferus przewalskii, Lasiurus cinereus, Lasiurus borealis, Lasiurus blossevillii, Lasiurus ega, Panthera leo, Panthera pardus, Ursus arctos isabellinus, Pusa caspica, Gazella bennettii, Giraffa camelopardalis, Fregata andrewsi, Aquila nipalensis, Gyps bengalensis, Gyps indicus, Gyps tenuirostris, Sarcogyps calvus, Gyps africanus, Gyps coprotheres, Gyps rueppelli, Necrosyrtes monachus, Trigonoceps occipitalis, Torgos tracheliotos, Anous minutus worcesteri, Emberiza, sulphurata, Rhincodon typus, Squatina squatina, Rhinobatos rhinobatos, Carcharhinus obscurus, Prionace glauca and Rhynchobatus australiae.
The Union should support all proposals because they are science-based and in line with the Union's commitment to international cooperation for the protection of biodiversity. This should include promoting to consider how to make best use of available scientific information so that both biological features and fisheries biological reference points can be taken into consideration.
It is therefore necessary for the Council to take a decision for the purpose of establishing the position to be adopted on behalf of the Union with a view to the twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties with regard to proposals for amendment.
The proposals for amendment will not require a change of existing Union law.
4. Legal basis
4.1.Procedural legal basis
4.1.1.Principles
Article 218(9) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) provides for decisions establishing ‘the positions to be adopted on the Union’s behalf in a body set up by an agreement, when that body is called upon to adopt acts having legal effects, with the exception of acts supplementing or amending the institutional framework of the agreement.’
The notion of ‘acts having legal effects’ includes acts that have legal effects by virtue of the rules of international law governing the body in question. It also includes instruments that do not have a binding effect under international law, but that are ‘capable of decisively influencing the content of the legislation adopted by the EU legislature’. 2
4.1.2.Application to the present case
The Conference of the Parties is a body set up by an agreement, namely the Convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals. The twelfth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention will take place in Manila (the Philippines) from 23 to 28 October 2017. For this meeting, the Union proposed to amend Appendix II to the Convention to add the bird species Lanius excubitor excubitor and Lanius minor.
The act which the Conference of the Parties is called upon to adopt constitutes an act having legal effects. The envisaged act will be binding under international law in accordance with Article III of the Convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals. The envisaged act does not supplement or amend the institutional framework of the agreement.
The procedural legal basis for the proposed decision, therefore, is Article 218(9) TFEU.
4.2.Substantive legal basis
4.2.1.Principles
The substantive legal basis for a decision under Article 218(9) TFEU depends primarily on the objective and content of the envisaged act in respect of which a position is adopted on behalf of the Union. If the envisaged act pursues two aims or has two components and if one of those aims or components is identifiable as the main one, whereas the other is merely incidental, the decision under Article 218(9) TFEU must be founded on a single substantive legal basis, namely that required by the main or predominant aim or component.
4.2.2.Application to the present case
The main objective and content of the envisaged act relate to environment.
The substantive legal basis of the proposed decision, therefore, is Article 192(1).
4.3.Conclusion
The legal basis of the proposed decision should be Article 192(1) in conjunction with Article 218(9) TFEU.