EP - On the way to CITES CoP20: Acknowledging CITES role as an international trade convention securing a sustainable management of wildlife resources
“On the way to CITES CoP20: Acknowledging CITES role as an international trade convention securing a sustainable management of wildlife resources”
© CITES, Facebook page
Thursday 25th September 2025 at 08:30 – 10:30 CEST
European Parliament, Brussels (Room ASP 3H1)
As preparations intensify for the 20th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES COP 20), the European Parliament is working on its draft motion for a resolution that will help shape the EU’s position at this critical international meeting.
This event, organized by MEP Group on ‘Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development’, provides an opportunity to reflect on the EU’s strategic objectives, supporting a coherent and forward-looking EU approach by bringing together EU institutions, Member States, and relevant stakeholders ahead of CITES COP 20. It highlights the importance of reaffirming CITES as a convention regulating legal, sustainable, and traceable trade in wildlife, ensuring such trade does not threaten species survival.
Acknowledging CITES' role as an international trade convention will be central to the discussions, emphasizing the EU Action Plan Against Wildlife Trafficking. This plan offers a blueprint for tackling illegal trade through enforcement, international cooperation, and demand reduction, within CITES’ trade-based framework. By focusing on these priorities and science-based decision making, the EU can lead with credibility and clarity in the run-up to COP 20.
DRAFT AGENDA
Event moderated by Ilias Grampas, Deputy Director, EBCD, Secretariat of the MEP Group on ‘Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development’
08:30 – 08:40: Welcome participants
08:40 – 08:50: Welcome remarks by MEP Cesar Luena & MEP Manuela Ripa
08:50 – 08:55: Introduction by Despina Symons Pirovolidou, Director, EBCD
08:55 – 09:35: Interventions by:
- Representative from TRAFFIC (tbc)
- Karen Gaynor, Scientific Support Officer, CITES Secretariat
- Steven Broad, Independent Advice and Research – Trade, Nature and Strategy, former TRAFFIC Executive Director (tbc)
- Kim Friedman, Senior Fishery Resources Officer, FAO (tbc)
- Svein A. Fosså, President, European Pet Organization (EPO)
- Nicolas Galudec, Senior Policy Advisor, UNEP Brussels Office
- Dr. Dan Challender, Senior Research Fellow, University of Oxford & Member of the Sustainable Use and Livelihoods (SULI) Specialist Group, IUCN
09:35 – 10:05: Q&A session with the audience
10:05 – 10:15: Intervention by Cristina de Avila, Head of Unit on “Global Environmental Cooperation and Multilateralism” (DG ENV F3), European Commission
10:15 – 10:20: Closing remarks by MEP Michal Wiezik
Staff