This section provides an overview of EU and candidate countries’ reported exports and re-exports of CITES-listed species in 2013. As in 2012, Tridacna maxima was again the species directly exported by the EU in the highest quantities from the wild; the majority of other wild-sourced exports (excluding trade for scientific purposes) comprised hunting trophies. The commodities exported at the highest volumes from all sources were: medicine from Cairina moschata[1]; live plants; and live sturgeon eggs. The number of plant taxa traded at high volumes increased from 15 taxa in 2012 to 35 taxa in 2013, primarily due to an increase in the number of species exported as seeds that met the criterion.

Trade in artificially propagated Appendix-II plants and re-exports of manufactured articles of Appendix II species have been excluded from the analyses in this chapter. Throughout the chapter, ‘exports’ refers to both direct exports and indirect exports (re-exports), unless otherwise specified.