The international trade in animals and plants is regulated by what is known as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
In Spain, this international regulation has been applicable since May 16, 1986. And with the European regulation for species protection since December 9, 1996, which is even stricter than the original CITES.
According to these regulations, animal or plant species subject to international control are divided into categories known as Appendices (three in international CITES) or Annexes (four in the much more restrictive European interpretation of CITES). Approximately 5,000 animal species and 28,000 plant species are under observation because their uncontrolled trade is considered to threaten their survival in the natural environment.
The three original appendices of the International CITES Convention are:
• Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction. The trade of individuals of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances and with prior approval from local regulatory bodies. Of all 931 species included in this category, 136 are cactus species, belonging to 17 genera. This means that the cacti included in this category account for almost 15% of all species truly endangered on the planet.
• Appendix II includes species that are not necessarily threatened with extinction, but for which trade must be controlled to avoid use incompatible with their survival. This category includes the rest of the cactus family species, i.e., about 2,220 species, which accounts for almost 10% of all plant species. Their production is regulated at a European level.
• Appendix III contains species that are protected in at least one country, and which have requested assistance from other CITES Parties to control their trade.
