The assessment was prepared on behalf of the Norwegian Environment Agency.

The background for the commissioning of the assessment is that the Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES) is a minimum-convention, meaning that it allows parties of the convention to adopt stricter domestic measures regarding CITES-issues. The EU is an example of a party which has adopted stricter domestic measures. All 123 species assessed in this report are subject to stricter regulation in the EU compared to Norway.

Six taxonomical groups

VKM has assessed species or groups of species belonging to six different taxonomical groups: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, plants, and terrestrial invertebrates. Six of these species are established and have breeding populations in Norway: Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), Western-marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus), Northern harrier (Circus cyaneus), European honey-buzzard (Pernis apivorus), Mountain apollo (Parnassius apollo) and Lady´s slipper orchid (Cypripedium calceolus) and three are extinct: Fen Orchid (Liparis loeselii), Red Kite (Milvus milvus) and Rock Pigeon (Columba livia). Further 25 species have been observed in Norway one or more times.

VKM assessed available scientific information on species biology and distribution, population size and trends. VKM also assessed information on management and conservation as well as levels of legal and illegal trade. The collected information was used to assess if trade could be detrimental to the species in question.

Revision of the appendices of the Norwegian CITES-Regulation

The assessments form the scientific basis for processing import/export permits and for a potential revision of the appendices of the Norwegian CITES-regulation.