Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to include transitional arrangements for CITES-listed materials in (a) any withdrawal agreement made with the EU and (b) in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

The UK Government has been working hard to ensure we maintain continuity and minimise disruption for those who trade and move CITES listed species after the UK leaves the EU.

With regard to a withdrawal agreement, current CITES controls and procedures in place between the UK and EU27 will continue during the implementation period. The UK will inherit the current EU Wildlife Trade Regulations, which at present implement CITES across the EU, with necessary deficiencies corrected. On an ongoing basis we will consider amendments necessary to continue to meet our obligations under the Convention in a UK context.

As a committed Party to CITES in its own right, the UK will continue to honour its international commitments under the Convention and implement the necessary controls accordingly.