Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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468. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the position regarding the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, CITES, in respect of persons that are bringing in musical instruments from Asia to Ireland; if the weight in respect of the category of rosewood and other wood involved in the musical instrument is based on the total weight of the instrument or the particular wood content in respect of the CITES regulations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18178/17]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The 17^thConference of the Parties of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species decided in 2016 to include in CITES Appendix II:

- all rosewood and palissander species of the genus Dalbergia;

- kosso (Pterocarpus erinaceus);

- bubinga (Guibourtia demeusei; Guibourtia pellegriniana; Guibourtia tessmannii).

These decisions were adopted on the basis of the high volumes of international trade and the detrimental impact of illegal and unsustainable logging on the conservation of these species.

The decision was implemented at EU level through amendments to the Annexes to Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97 which entered into force on 4 February 2017.

The import into the EUof products containing woodof the species concerned requires an export permit issued by the source country and an import permit issued by the management authority of the EU Member State where the products are to be imported.

The exporter is required to enter the weight of CITES-listed wood that is incorporated into the manufacture of the instrument – not the entire weight of the instrument.