English
Travellers: do not bring back any animal or vegetable species threatened with extinction (CITES)
To prevent certain wild species of fauna and flora from extinction, the international community adopted the Washington Convention, also called CITES Convention (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora).
These species are classified in three categories.
1. The species threatened with immediate extinction, for example:
anthropoid monkeys (gorillas, chimpanzees, etc.),
lemurs,
panda,
elephants,
rhinoceros,
big cats,
navy tortoises,
certain crocodiles and lizards,
huge salamanders,
most of the cetaceans: dolphin, whale, etc.,
most of the birds of prey, the cranes, the pheasants and the parrots,
certain shells,
most cactus and certain orchids, etc.
The import of the wild species of fauna or flora of this category is prohibited.
2. The species which risk the short-term extinction, for example:
all monkeys, except those of the first category,
all big cats, except those of the first category,
all otters, except those of the first category,
peccaries, certain antelopes,
all crocodiles, except those of the first category,
all varanuses, except those of the first category,
ground and river tortoises,
all boïdés (boa, python, etc.), except those of the first category,
all cetaceans, except those of the first category,
all parrots, except those of the first category,
all diurnal and night-birds of prey, except those of the first category,
all hummingbirds, except those of the first category,
flamingos,
the medicinal leech,
all black corals,
all orchids, except those of the first category,
all cactus, except those of the first category, etc.
3. The species declared in danger
The species declared in danger on the territory of one or several countries and for which particular safety measures aiming at preventing or at restricting their exploitation are enforced.
The movement of species endangered by short term extinction together with declared endangered species is subjected to specific formalities : requirement of a CITES permit.
The import is subject to the presentation to a specialized customs office (having the W competence) a CITES licence delivered by the appropriate Regional Environment Direction (DIREN) (see list in appendix). In accordance with the measures of decentralization of the individual administrative decisions, the DIREN issues documents required for the enforcement of the Washington Convention and the EC Regulation 338/97 in lieu of the Direction of Nature and Landscapes (DNP), since 1st January 2001.
This CITES import licence is only delivered upon production of the original of the CITES export licence of the country of origin.
These documents are also required from travellers from overseas territories, from Saint Pierre and Miquelon and from Mayotte.
Furthermore, since 1976, France has adopted specific protective measures of the fauna and the flora in the overseas departments, notably Guyana. So, the destruction, capture, stuffing, transport, use, sale or purchase of specimens of a large number of animal or vegetable species are forbidden both in Metropolitan France and in the French overseas departments.
Page mise à jour le 03/07/2003 par Attaché douanier à Londres