CITES ASSISTANCE
A service offered at both the Port and the Airport.
The Washington Convention (identified with the acronym C.I.T.E.S. - Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species) regulates the trading, meaning the export, re-export, import, transit, transfer or custody for any purpose of certain species of animals and plants facing extinction in the 130 countries that signed the agreement.
The European Union transposed the Convention into Community law with EEC Regulation no. 338/97, which was followed, over the years, by noteworthy modifications meant to define the species to be protected in increasing detail by classifying them in a variety of different annexes.
In Italy compliance with the complex set of Community legislation that has develop around the Convention has been delegated to a number of different government branches: the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Production Activities and, more specifically, the Ministry of Agricultural and Forestry Policies, which, together with the CITES Service of the State Forestry Corps, manages the purely administrative procedures involving the issue of certification, as well as controls of merchandise categories through operating units (NOC) active within Italian territory, in closed coordination with the customs offices authorised for such operations (indicated in Ruling no. 5987 of 6 May 2002). The controls that the national regulations and statutes delegate to the Customs Authorities (Law no. 150/92 and modifications) are carried out at these offices.
To learn of the formalities that must be met to trade or make personal use of plants or animals, alive or dead, or parts of the same, and to avoid being subject to the serious punishment contemplated under the regulations, information should be obtained from the competent authorities (the Ministry of Agricultural and Forestry Policies, the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Production Activities and the Customs Agency).
All information of use can be found in the CITES manual, which contains the regulatory measures that govern the sector, definitions of the most frequently used customs and CITES terms, a list of the customs offices authorised to perform the operations, a clear and complete indication of the formal procedures required for each situation and the forms necessary for carrying out the various procedures.
The personnel in our two offices coordinates and assists with the customs clearance of cargo subject to CITES control, for the releases required under the law.
Before the customs clearance, based on a prior reservation of the service, our personnel accompanies and assists the unit of the State Forestry Corps in carrying out the physical control of the cargo declared for export.
The types of cargo subject to the Cites N.O. are listed in the Washington Convention on the defence of animals, plants and derivatives at risk of extinction.
Particular attention is reserved for private parties, which, should they wish to take home from pleasure trips souvenirs of animal or vegetable origin (shells, plants, various types of necklaces, seeds, sand, earth etc.), must be made aware of the noteworthy risk, seeing that, in the case of protected cargo, criminal charges can also be brought by the Authorities.