Updated version of the "CITES Manual" issued

The main instrument used in Italy to coordinate the different bodies that, togheter with the Customs administration, participate to the function of control of the different kinds of imported or exported goods, is represented by specific Manuals and protocols of procedure adopted within Conferences of Services made up by all the interested administrations. Among these manuals and protocols there are the “Manual of procedure for the controls concerning the safety of products” (regulating the control procedures for those goods that are subject to safety controls) and the “CITES Manual". The CITES Manual has been adopted by the Italian Customs for the first time - jointly with the Ministry of Environment and protection of Land, the State Forestal Police and the Ministry for the Economic Development - within the Conference of Services of 7 May 2002. Updated recently within the Conference of Services of 10 May 2011 (extended also to the participation of the Ministry of Health), the CITES Manual containes the instructions addressed to the different offices and bodies of control concerning the procedures to follow to monitor the import, export, re-export, transit and transhipment of the specimen of endangered species of wild fauna and flora covered by the Washington Convention (CITES Convention), included their parts and derived products.

(Continues... in Italian)

Il Manuale, composto da schede mobili e quindi sempre aggiornabile, definisce anche i requisiti e le modalità di rilascio della documentazione accompagnatoria delle spedizioni degli esemplari coperti dalla Convenzione di Washington in Paesi che la applicano in maniera assai rigorosa, come gli Stati Uniti ed il Giappone. Inoltre elenca (allegato 1) gli uffici doganali abilitati alle operazioni di import, export o riesportazione, anche temporaneai degli specimen inclusi negli elenchi CITES e del Reg. (CE) n. 338/97 e successive modifiche. A tali uffici si aggiungono 33 uffici doganali specializzati sui controlli e successivo sdoganamento dei legnami tropicali.