International conference to protect wildlife in trade begins

November 24, 2025

The 20^th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP20) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) begins today, taking place from November 24 to December 5 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

185 Parties will gather to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants is sustainable, legal and traceable. The EU and its Member States will work with international partners in Samarkand to ensure that CITES continues to deliver on its mission to conserve biodiversity, ecosystems, and people, supporting both species conservation and sustainable economic development.

Half of the world’s GDP depends directly or indirectly on nature. Safeguarding species and ecosystems is therefore not only an environmental imperative, but an economic and social one.

While progress has been made over the years, global challenges remain acute. The accelerating decline of wildlife populations, illegal trade, habitat loss, and the impacts of climate change threaten ecosystems and the services they provide. Ambitious decisions at CoP20 are therefore key to keeping the decline at bay.

EU priorities at CITES CoP20

The EU will actively advocate for key outcomes to strengthen the implementation and effectiveness of the Convention, including:

Ensuring sustainable, science-based listings: Listings for protection under CITES should be based on the best available scientific evidence, particularly for species threatened by overexploitation or unsustainable trade.
Advancing marine and freshwater protection: By proposing to protect several aquatic species from illegal trade.
Combating wildlife trafficking: Stronger global cooperation and enforcement are needed through initiatives such as the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) and support to national authorities, in line with the revised EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking.
Improving implementation and compliance: The EU advocates for efficient, practical measures to enhance CITES’ effectiveness, including digital permitting systems (eCITES), better capacity-building, and greater engagement of youth, Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
Securing a sustainable future for the Convention: A balanced and realistic budget for 2026–2028 is needed to ensure that the CITES Secretariat can fulfil its growing mandate.

The EU submitted or co-sponsored eight proposals to list species for better protection in international trade (Appendix II). These include eels, several shark species, sea cucumber and water frog species and one plant. These efforts aim to strengthen protection against unsustainable or illegal trade while promoting sustainable use where possible.

At CoP20, the EU will reaffirm its commitment to capacity-building, innovation and partnership, ensuring all Parties can fully implement their CITES obligations for people and nature alike.

Background

CITES, which entered into force in 1975, regulates international trade in over 40,900 species of wild animals and plants. It is one of the world’s oldest and most successful environmental agreements. The CoP meets every three years to review implementation, adopt amendments to the Appendices, and agree on new Resolutions and Decisions.

Since the EU became a full Party to CITES in 2015, it has worked to ensure that international wildlife trade supports conservation, sustainable livelihoods and fair economic growth. The EU is the only regional organisation that is a Party to CITES, enabling it to speak with one voice on behalf of its Member States and amplify global action for species protection.