House debates

Tuesday, 16 March 2021

Committees

Treaties Committee; Report

4:15 pm

Photo of Dave SharmaDave Sharma (Wentworth, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

On behalf of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, I present the committee's report entitled Report 194: Certifications—Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway; Amendments 2020—CITES.

Report made a parliamentary paper in accordance with standing order 39(e).

by leave—Today I rise to make a short statement on the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties Report 194. The report concerns two treaty actions: the 2019 amendments to appendices I, II and III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora; and the agreement amending the Agreement on Mutual Recognition in Relation to Conformity Assessment, Certificates and Markings between Australia and the Republic of Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Kingdom of Norway.

CITES protects endangered species by regulating international trade in those species and the products derived from them, and amendments to the list of protected species covered by CITES are regularly proposed and adopted. The amendments considered in this report include 10 Australian native species and four non-native Australian species which Australia trades in. The committee, in its report, supports the amendments to CITES but notes that the time frame in which amendments come into force means that there is usually insufficient or no time for the committee to undertake a proper inquiry. As a result, Report 194 recommends the government alter its process for referring CITES amendments to the committee, to ensure the committee can complete an inquiry before the amendments come into force.

The aspect of the report dealing with the agreement to amend the agreement between Australia and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway allows mutual recognition agreements to be made and aligns the mutual recognition arrangements with Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway with those that Australia has in existing arrangements with the European Union. The committee has also recommended the ratification of this agreement amending the mutual recognition agreement with Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

I commend this report to the House.