Application of CITES in the European Union: Status of dependent and other territories
| Party to CITES | EU territory (EU Treaty applies) | EU CITES legislation applies1 | Import and (re-)export documents required for trade with EU Member States | EU customs territory | Customs checks required for intra-EU trade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French Overseas Departments (La Réunion, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guyane, Mayotte) (FR) | X | X | X | X | ||
| Saint Martin (FR) | X | X | X | X | ||
| Canary Islands (ES) | X | X | X | X | ||
| Madeira (PT) | X | X | X | X | ||
| Açores (PT) | X | X | X | X | ||
| Island of Helgoland (DE) | X | X | X | X | ||
| Territory of Büsingen (DE) | X | X | X | X | ||
| Ceuta and Melilla (ES) | X | X | X | X | ||
| Aland Islands (FI) | X | X | X | X | ||
| Livigno (IT) | X | X | X | X | ||
| Monaco2 | X | X | X | |||
| San Marino3 | X | (see note 3) | X | (see note 3) | ||
* Note that territories/countries forming a Customs union with the EU (e.g. Andorra, Turkey) are subject to the usual Customs formalities.
All other dependent territories of the EU Member States are not part of the EU Territory or the EU customs territory and permits are therefore required for trade with the EU Member States. These include the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) (listed below), which have constitutional ties with Denmark*, France, or the Netherlands. Although the nationals of OCT are in principle EU citizens, these territories are not part of the EU and not directly subject to EU law.
* Although not classed as an OCT, the Faroe Islands are also under the sovereignty of Denmark and do not form part of the EU. As they are also a non-Party to CITES, imports into the EU from the Faroe Islands follow the rules of import from non-Parties.
Overseas countries and territories
- Aruba (NL)
- Bonaire (NL)
- Curacao (NL)
- French Polynesia (FR)
- French Southern and Antarctic Territories (FR)
- Greenland (DK)
- New Caledonia and Dependencies (FR)
- Saba (NL)
- Saint Barthélemy (FR)
- Sint Eustatius (NL)
- Sint Maarten (NL)
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon (FR)
- Wallis and Futuna Islands (FR)
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Trade with these areas should be handled as intra-EU trade, i.e. Articles 8 and 9 of Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 apply. Import and (re-)export permits are not required. ↩
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As Monaco has neither an airport nor a commercial port (only for pleasure craft), in practice all (commercial) imports go through Border Inspection Posts of the EU and are regulated accordingly. Therefore Monaco is effectively treated like a Member State. ↩
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San Marino applies EU Customs legislation and the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations mutatis mutandis as part of ‘Omnibus’ Decision No. 1/2010 of the EU-San Marino Cooperation Committee of 29 March 2010 establishing various implementing measures for the Agreement on Cooperation and Customs Union between the European Economic Community and the Republic of San Marino (OJ L 156, 23.6.2010, p.13). In order to apply this legislation, the Customs territory of the EU and the Customs territory of the Republic of San Marino are to be considered a single Customs territory (Article 3 of the Omnibus Decision). ↩