23 October 2105: The twenty-second meeting of the Plants Committee (PC22) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has recommended, inter alia: PC commitment to continue working with Madagascar on the implementation of the Action Plan for Malagasy ebonies and Malagasy rosewoods, noting however strong concern that no information has as yet been provided on the status of implementation of elements of the Action Plan; and the adoption of a Review of Significant Trade (RST) process that provides for greater transparency.

PC22 supported a shorter and more streamlined RST, providing clear, concise and informative communications and consultations, as well as containing a standard “menu” of RST recommendations. PC22 also considered proposals for possible listings of cacti, palms, Dalbergia trees and orchids, to be considered at the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP17) to CITES in September 2016.

Finally, PC22 established an intersessional working group on the exemption of trade in finished products (packaged and ready for retail) that contain components of Appendix-II listed orchids from CITES, to: enable a full analysis of potential impacts to orchid conservation; analyze the risk of trade in finished products containing Orchidaceae parts; and report its findings at PC23 and PC24. The recommendations agreed at PC22 will be forwarded for discussion at the 66th meeting of the Standing Committee (SC), to be held January 2016 in Geneva, Switzerland, prior to CoP17.

PC22 convened from 19-23 October 2015 in Tbilisi, Georgia. Approximately 150 participants from national governments, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations attended the meeting. [CITES Press Release] [CITES Secretary-General’s Welcoming Remarks] [IISD RS Coverage of CITES PC22]