France and Germany press for wider due diligence; Canada-led recommendation sends the CITES Secretariat to exporting countries, which could include EU member states; India asked to submit one more report
The Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) on Wednesday recognised India’s progress in tightening controls on wildlife imports, while keeping the country under review and opening a new line of inquiry into the countries that issued export permits for the animals concerned.
Meeting in Geneva for its 81st session, the Committee asked India for one further report before its next meeting. No trade sanctions or new compliance measures were proposed.
Europe: support with conditions
France welcomed India’s new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for wildlife imports, in force since 16 October 2026, but urged New Delhi to extend them beyond live animals to all species and specimens covered by CITES. The French delegation also called for greater transparency and continued oversight by the CITES Secretariat and the relevant committees. Germany endorsed the French position.
Two non-EU European parties were more cautious. The United Kingdom acknowledged India’s substantial work but backed one more round of reporting on how the new procedures are being implemented and how well they work. Switzerland said further evidence of implementation was needed.
Exporters in the spotlight
The most consequential outcome came from Canada. Its delegation, represented on the Committee by Carolina Caceres, commended India’s progress but questioned whether further reporting by India alone could resolve the outstanding concerns. Canada proposed that the CITES Secretariat approach exporting and re-exporting countries directly to clarify questions about historical transactions. The recommendation was adopted by consensus.
The decision moves part of the burden of proof away from India as the importing country and onto the authorities that issued the original export permits. Japan backed the principle, arguing that exporting and re-exporting states bear primary responsibility for establishing the legal origin and traceability of specimens before permits are granted. Kenya likewise said exporters should supply the documentation showing animals were legally acquired.
That shift has a direct European dimension. New Zealand raised concerns about historical exports of protected Fijian iguanas from Austria, and called for scrutiny of the due diligence carried out by both the exporting and importing authorities. The case shows that EU member states are among the exporting countries whose permitting practices may now come under examination.
Broad backing for India
Beyond Europe, delegations including Canada, Japan, Brazil, Kenya, Indonesia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates commended or supported the steps taken by India’s CITES Management Authority. Several argued that the reforms were sufficient to close the review under Article XIII of the Convention.
Countries linked to the transactions under examination also spoke. The Democratic Republic of the Congo confirmed that India had shared information on the measures taken, and Togo described India’s work as commendable and supported closing the review. Brazil referred to ongoing talks on conservation cooperation involving a species extinct in the wild, which it suggested could serve as a model for future partnerships.
Santosh Tewari of India’s CITES Management Authority set out the reforms introduced since concerns were first raised at the Committee’s 79th meeting: stronger institutional arrangements, closer cooperation with foreign authorities, and risk-based checks on the origin of imported animals, captive-breeding claims and supporting documents. The CITES Secretariat confirmed that India had finalised and adopted the new due diligence procedures.
Vantara commitments
Vantara, the wildlife rescue and conservation facility in Jamnagar, Gujarat, addressed the meeting as an observer. It said the measures adopted under its two-year import moratorium would become permanent institutional practice rather than temporary arrangements, and pledged to expand support for conservation in species’ natural habitats. Future conservation breeding, it said, would be carried out together with range countries and aimed at restoring wild populations.
What comes next
India will submit a further report ahead of the Committee’s 82nd meeting, while the Secretariat pursues its inquiries with exporting countries. For EU governments, the outcome points to closer attention on both sides of the trade: France and Germany are pressing for wider import controls, while the Canadian recommendation means that exporting countries, potentially including EU member states, may be asked to account for the permits they issued.
