RECORDING OF PERNAMBUCO STOCKS IN FRANCE

Foreword

The amendment to the listing of Pernambuco (Paubrasilia echinata), which came into force on February 23, 2023 is accompanied by 5 workstreams set out by CITES, including the decision:

"19.251 Parties, and in particular those that are countries of origin, transit and destination of Paubrasilia echinata, are invited to:

b) consider registering stocks of Paubrasilia echinata, where appropriate;"

The Standing Committee, at its 78th meeting from February 3 to 8, 2024, will make recommendations for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its 20th meeting (November 24 to Friday, December 5, 2025), including recommendations for the development and implementation of a traceability system for specimens of Paubrasilia echinata.

Bow makers and owners of stock of Pernambuco wood specimens in the form of logs, planks, sawn timber, raw sticks and other pieces, are invited to voluntarily declare, before January 15, 2025to the ET4 office of the MTE*, the CITES authority in France.

IMPORTANT NOTE at the end of the process, you will be able to download a "certificate of deposit", but this document does not attest to the legality of the declared stock. To prove the legality of your stock, you must be in possession of a purchase invoice from a supplier attesting to an acquisition prior to 13.09.2007 OR a declaration made in 2007 following CoP14.

Summary of the procedure for declaring a stock of Pernambuco wood:

1 - Who is invited to register Pernambuco wood stocks?
Players with stocks of Pernambuco (Paubrasilia echinata) domiciled in France, bow makers, violin makers and private individuals with stocks of this species. This approach is primarily aimed at economic players, but the form is also open to private individuals who own a stock of Pernambuco

2 - What is meant by Pernambuco wood specimens?
Pernambuco wood in the following forms (Enter "0" if you do not hold the specimens listed - see figure n°1 below).

• Logs, in kg
• Planks, according to CITES definition: wood simply sawn lengthwise or boned, thickness exceeding 6 mm), edged, in kg
• Raw sticks, including in-process bows (declaration in kg and number of sticks)
• Pieces usable for products other than bows, e.g. tailpieces, pens, in kg

3 - Will this voluntary online declaration be validated by the CITES France authority?
A file number and an official receipt from the MTE will be issued for the registration of stocks, but this document does not attest to the fact that the bow has been registered this document does not attest to the legality of the declared stocks. The owner of the stock must be in possession of the documents needed to establish the pre-convention status of the wood:

• Stock declaration made before 13.09.2007 following CoP14
• Purchase invoice from an EU supplier attesting to acquisition prior to 13.09.2007
• Purchase invoice from a non-EU supplier prior to 13.09.2007
• EU import permit specifying that specimens are pre-Convention

*MTE ministry of Ecological Transition, Energy, Climate and Risk Prevention

FAQ - Frequently asked questions

We have received a few questions which we will answer below:

1. How will the new data collected be used?

The data collected will enable the CITES office of the French Ministry of Ecological Transition to evaluate the volume in kg of Pernambuco wood present on French territory.

This assessment follows on from CITES decision Cop19.251, which stipulates: "Parties, and in particular those that are countries of origin, transit and destination of Paubrasilia echinata, are invited to :

(...) b) consider registering stocks of Paubrasilia echinata, where appropriate; (...)"

The result of this assessment will be transmitted to the CITES Secretariat in view of the next Conference of the Parties to be held from November 24 to December 5, 2025.

2. Won't these stock declarations theoretically be the same as those already recorded in 2007?

No, they won't , because this new stock record will make it possible to evaluate, in addition to the stocks already declared in 2007, stocks that were accompanied by an invoice and therefore did not need to be declared, as well as stocks acquired after 2007 accompanied byan invoice issued after September 13, 2027, if this is accompanied by a document proving that the timber is pre-Convention on the basis of another invoice prior to 13.09.2007 or a 2007 stock declaration or import permit.

3. The CITES management authority management authority keep records of declarations made in 2007 following the listing of Pernambuco in CITES Appendix II?

If you declared your stock in 2007 and received an acknowledgement of receipt from the CITES France ManagementAuthority, this declaration is archived.

4. In 2007, I sent my declaration to the management authority but received no acknowledgement of receipt. Should I consider that my stock has been declared?

If you declared your stock in 2007 and did not receive an acknowledgement of receipt from the management authority, you will need to gather together all the documents in your possession that will enable you to prove that you have declared it. For example, you'll need the post office's acknowledgement of receipt and a copy of your declaration. These documents will enable you to prove that the procedure has been carried out. This may help to have the stock recognized a posteriori as being pre-convention. In this case, however, it will be up to the managing authority to decide on a case-by-case basis whether the documents are admissible.

5. What's in it for us to register our stock again ?

Your participation will help us to assess the volume of Pernambuco stocks in France as accurately as possible, and to show the CITES authorities that all those involved in the industry are mobilizing to respond to the Cop19 249 -253 decisions.
As stakeholders in the CITES committees, the trade organizations that defend your interests need massive support from all professionals. Without your active participation, we will have no chance of serving the interests of each and every one of you.

6. How can we trust this process?

This process is being carried out in complete transparency between the Ministry and the professional organizations that represent you.

7. What will it achieve?

To enable the entire industry to preserve Pernambuco in Appendix II and avoid an Appendix I.

Indeed, Brazil's rejection of the proposal to transfer the species to Appendix I in 2022 at CoP19 was conditional on several decisions aimed at combating illegal trade, setting up a traceability system and ensuring sustainable management of the species.
The registration of legally acquired onstocks in all countries involved in the Pernambuco trade is therefore a prerequisite for the traceability of bow production from these stocks.

To receive the operating instructions from to register your stock, please contact Jacques Carbonneaux