WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2236/97 by Patricia McKENNA to the Commission. Ireland's failure to ratify CITES
22. 1. 98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 21/145 a factor contributing to situations of instability, reaffirm their commitment to exercise the utmost restraint with regard to arms exports. í On the subject of United States military aid, information supplied by the US authorities is to the effect that their country is prepared to help the Democratic Republic of the Congo to reform its armed forces in order to turn them into a multi-ethnic professional army tasked with the defence of the national territory. Military aid would take the form of institutional support i. e. the provision of experts. In agreement with the Member States the Commissionís policy is aimed at full cooperation by the new authorities with the humanitarian aid agencies in searching for and repatriating refugees and displaced persons. Furthermore, it has called on the Congolese authorities to allow the United Nations fact-finding mission complete freedom to enquire into accusations of violent extortion and of massacres of Rwandan refugees in the Congo. Rehabilitation programmes and full cooperation can resume as soon as there is practical confirmation of the new authoritiesí willingness to respect human rights, restart the democratisation process and establish a State in which the rule of law prevails. The United States was informed in the course of the regular dialogue with that country of the fact that this policy, referred to in the conclusions of the Amsterdam European Council, had been adopted. (98/C 21/269) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2236/97 by Patricia McKenna (V) to the Commission (2 July 1997) Subject: Irelandís failure to ratify CITES Ireland is the only EU country which has not yet ratified the UN Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Has the Commission sought any explanation from the Irish authorities about this matter? What responses have been given by the Irish authorities? Is the Commission monitoring how the EU states which have ratified the convention are enforcing its provisions? Is it satisfied with the enforcement of its provisions by Member States? Has it published any reports about such monitoring? Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (16 July 1997) The Commission has indeed insisted on the accession by Ireland to the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora (CITES) since the entry into force of Council Regulation (EEC) No 3626/82 (1) on the implementation of CITES. In December 1996, the minister for arts, culture and the Gaeltacht confirmed Ireland’s commitment to its accession to the convention and its intention to do so this year following enactment of a bill to amend the Wildlife Act 1976. The Commission monitors the implementation and enforcement by Member States of the 1982 Regulation mentioned above and its successor, Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 (2), which entered into force on 1 June 1997. The Commission has been generally satisfied with Member States’ performance under the 1982 Regulation, but expects the 1997 Regulation to bring important improvement in both implementation and enforcement. The old Regulation did not contain a provision for reports on implementation, unlike the new one. The latter provides, in its Article 15. 4(c) and (d), for biennial reports on implementation and enforcement. The first of these reports has to be drawn up before 31 October 1999. (1) OJ L 384, 31. 12. 1982. (2) OJ L 61, 3. 3. 1997