Agreement on the conservation of African-Eurasian migratory waterbirds

Belarus

15-01-2016

The Republic of Belarus on the basis of Article XV of the Agreement shall not apply Annex 3 to the Agreement with respect to:
- the prohibition referred to in paragraph 2.1.2(a) of Annex 3 to the Agreement on the taking of birds belonging to the populations listed in column B of table 1 of Annex 3 to the Agreement at various stages of reproduction and rearing and during their return to their breeding grounds if the taking has an unfavourable impact on the conservation status of the population concerned;
- the prohibition referred to in paragraph 2.1.2(b) of Annex 3 to the Agreement on the use of all indiscriminate means of taking out and means capable of causing mass destruction, the local disappearance, as well as causing serious anxiety to the birds belonging to the populations listed in column B of table 1 of Annex 3 to the Agreement;
- paragraph 4.1.4 of Annex 3 to the Agreement.

Bulgaria

22-11-1999

The competent institutions for Bulgaria for the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds are:
Ministry of Environment and Water
National Nature Protection Service
67, William Gladstone Str.
1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
tel.: 003592 84 72 62 53
fax: 003592 52 16 34
Ministry of Justice and Legal Eurointegration
Department "Legal Eurointegration and International Legal Cooperation"
1, "Slavianska" Str.
1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
tel.: 003592 988 45 89; 980 92 22
fax: 003592 980 92 23; 981 10 96.

Czech Republic

12-12-2008

The Government of the Czech Republic presents a reservation in accordance with Article X of the abovementioned Agreement due to impossibility to accomplish the procedure of internal approval concerning the Amendments to the Annexes to the Agreement, as accepted at the 4th Session of the meeting of the Parties to the Agreement (Antananarivo, Madagascar, 15-19 September 2008), in the mentioned ninety days period.

04-06-2010

The Government of the Czech Republic withdraws the reservation, which was made in accordance with Article X of the abovementioned Agreement due to impossibility to accomplish the procedure of internal approval concerning the Amendments to the Annexes to the Agreement, as accepted at the 4th Session of the meeting of the Parties to the Agreement (Antananarivo, Madagascar, 15-19 September 2008), in the ninety days period. As provided for in paragraph 6 of Article 10 of the Agreement, the Amendments shall enter into force for the Czech Republic on the thirtieth day after the date of the withdrawal of the reservation.

16-12-2022

The Government of the Czech Republic makes a reservation in accordance with Article X para 6 of the above-mentioned Agreement due to impossibility to accomplish the procedure of internal approval concerning the Amendments to the Annexes 2 and 3 and to Table 1 to the Agreement, as accepted at the 8th Session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Agreement (26 - 30 September 2022, Budapest, Hungary), in the mentioned ninety days period.

26-02-2024

The Government of the Czech Republic withdraws the reservation made in accordance with Article X para 6 of the abovementioned Agreement due to impossibility to accomplish the procedure of internal approval concerning the Amendments to the Annexes 2 and 3 to Table 1 to the Agreement, as accepted at the 8th Session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Agreement (26 - 30 September 2022, Budapest, Hungary), in the mentioned ninety days period.

Estonia

01-08-2008

According to Article XV of the Agreement the Republic of Estonia makes a following specific reservation: paragraph 4.1.4 of the Annex 3 is not applied to the hunting of waterbirds in the territory of the Republic of Estonia until the 1st of January 2013.

EU (European Union)

29-01-2010

[...] as from 1 December 2009, the European Union has replaced and succeeded the European Community (Article 1, third paragraph, of the Treaty on European Union as it results from the amendments introduced by the Treaty of Lisbon) and has exercised all rights and assumed all obligations of the European Community whilst continuing to exercise existing rights and assume obligations of the European Union.
The General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, therefore has the honour to notify the Permanent Representation of the Netherlands to the European Union that, as from 1 December 2009, the European Community has been replaced and succeeded by the European Union in respect of all Conventions/Agreements for which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is the depositary and to which the European Community, replaced from 1 December 2009 by the European Union, is a contracting party.

10-11-2022

Following the amendments to the Agreement adopted at the last Meeting of the Parties (MOP8, 26-30 September 2022):
• the Iceland/UK & Ireland population of Greylag Goose Anser anser anser is now listed in Category 3e* of Column A of Table 1,
• the North-east Europe/North-west Europe population of Taïga Bean Goose Anser fabalis fabalis is now split into three populations:
-Scandinavia/Denmark and UK population listed in Category 1c of Column A of Table 1,
-Finland and NW Russia/Sweden, Denmark and Germany population listed in Category 3c* of Column A of Table 1,
-West Siberia/Poland and Germany population listed in Category 2 of Column A of Table 1,
• the Black Sea & East Mediterranean population of Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina is now listed in Category 3e of Column A of Table 1,
• the C & E Siberia/SW Asia, Eastern & Southern Africa population of Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola squatarola is now listed in Category 3c of Column A of Table 1 and,
• the SE Eur & W Asia/SW & S Asia & NE Africa population of Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus longipes is now listed in Category 3c of Column A of Table 1.
These populations of species now form part of the Action Plan contained in Annex 3 to the Agreement.
The European Union cannot accept the above-mentioned amendments without a prior change in EU law. The European Union would therefore like to hereby enter a reservation with respect to the five above mentioned amendments.
This reservation by the European Union is also valid for those Member States of the European Union which are Parties to AEWA as, when a regional economic integration organization, such as the European Union, and its Member States are both parties to a treaty, they are not entitled to exercise rights under the treaty concurrently. This principle is reflected, with regard to voting in the Meeting of the Parties, in Article VI(5) of AEWA and also applies to the notification of reservations under Article X(6) of AEWA. With regard to the reservation in question, it is for the European Union to act since the protection of the bird species in question is covered by existing Union legislation.
The Iceland/UK & Ireland population of Greylag Goose and the Finland and NW Russia/Sweden, Denmark and Germany population of the Taïga Bean Goose are now respectively listed in Categories 3e and 3c of Column A of Table 1 of Annex 3 of the Agreement with an asterisk (*). According to Annex 3, the species listed in Category 3 with an asterisk may only be hunted within the framework of an international species action plan, through which Parties will endeavour to implement the principles of adaptive harvest management. Therefore, the European Union could consider lifting the reservation regarding these populations once an adaptive harvest management mechanism under an international body, consistent with the requirements of Article 7 of the Birds Directive, is in place.
Despite the reservation, the European Commission has and will continue to encourage EU Member States to ensure the sustainability of hunting and has developed an approach for bird species listed in Annex 2 of the Birds Directive which are not in a secure status which aims at supporting their recovery.

Finland

29-10-1999

1. In accordance with Article XV and Annex 3, paragraph 2.1.2, Finland declares that the provisions contained in the said paragraph do not apply to the Åland Islands as regards two species, Velvet Scoter (Melanitta fusca) and Common Scoter (Melanitta Nigra), mentioned in Table 1 column B, and the taking of these species is allowed in the Åland Islands.
2. The provisions contained in Annex 3, paragraphs 2.1.2 and 2.1.3 do not apply to those species which are subject to spring taking in the Åland Islands.
3. The provisions contained in Annex 3, paragraphs 4.1.4, endeavouring to phase out the use of lead shot, do not apply to the Åland Islands.

Hungary

17-12-2002

Reservation to the point 4.1.4. of Annex 3 (Action Plan) of the Agreement:
The Republic of Hungary reserves the right to phase out the use of lead shot for hunting in wetlands until 15 August 2005.

Iceland

21-03-2013

In accordance with Article XV of the Agreement, Iceland makes a reservation regarding Annex 3, paragraph 2.1, cf. Article IV, paragraph 1, with regard to the following species:
Artic Tern (Sterna paradisaea).
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus).
Glaucus Gull (Larus hyperboreus).
Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus).
Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus).
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo).
Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla).
Razorbill (Alca torda).
Common Guillemot (Uria aalge).
Thick-billed Guillemot (Uria lomvia).
Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle).
Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica).
Common Eider (Somateria mollissima).
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos).
Eurasian Wigeon (Anas Penelope).
Common Teal (Anas crecca).
Greater Scaup (Aythya marila).
Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula).
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis).
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator).
Greylag Goose (Anser anser).
Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus).

15-12-2022

Iceland hereby wishes to enter a reservation with respect to the inclusion of the population of Anser anser anser, Greylag goose, as listed for Iceland/UK and Ireland in Annex 3, table 1 and Column A to the Agreement. We therefore still consider this species to be placed in Column B of Table 1. The reservation can be considered as a temporary reservation while an international single species action plan and harvest management plan for the population is developed by the Range States.

Latvia

21-10-2005

In accordance with paragraph 1 article V the Republic of Latvia declares that the national authority designated is the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Latvia
Peldu Str. 25
Riga, LV - 1494
Tel..: +371 7026 418
Fax: + 371 7820 442
E-mail: pasts@vidm.gov.lv

Moldova

17-01-2001

Responsible authority of the Republic of Moldova in accordance with the provisions of Article V paragraph (b) of the Agreement on the conservation of african-eurasian migratory waterbirds is the Ministry of Environment and Territorial Development of the Republic of Moldova.
Postal address:
9 Cosmonautilor str.,
Chisinau, MD-2005, Republic of Moldova
tel. + 373 2 22 62 73
fax + 373 2 22 07 48
Contact person: Mr. Ion Bejenaru
chief of the Section on the bio-diversity conservation and management of protected areas
E-mail: Biodiver@mediu.moldavo.md.

Slovakia

23-04-2001

The Slovak Republic shall not be bound by the provisions of article 4.1.4 of the Action Plan and will not phase out the use of lead shot for hunting in wetlands.

Sweden

05-10-1998

In accordance with Article V 1(a) and (b) of the Agreement Sweden hereby designates as implementing authority of the Agreement and contact point for the other Parties The Swedish National Environmental Protection Agency, (Statens naturvårdsverk), S-106 48 Stockholm, Sweden.
Tel. + 46-8-698 10 00, Fax + 46-8-20 29 25.

United Kingdom

24-08-2021

I have the honour to refer to the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds concluded at The Hague on 15 August 1996, as amended at the 7th Session of the Meeting of the Parties on 4–8 December 2018 at Durban, South Africa (the “Agreement”), of which the Kingdom of The Netherlands is the depositary.
I have the honour further to refer to the reservation made by the European Union to the Agreement on 22 March 2019 (the “EU reservation”).
The EU reservation covered the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as a European Union member State and during the transition period provided for in the Agreement on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community (the “transition period”).
Following the end of the transition period, I have the honour to confirm that the United Kingdom intends to continue to apply the substance of the EU reservation in respect of the United Kingdom, insofar as it applies to the Common Pochard Aythia farina only.
[…]

15-12-2022

[…], in accordance with Article X, paragraph 6 of the Agreement, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (“the United Kingdom”) hereby enters a reservation against the amendment to the listing in relation to the Greylag Goose (Anser anser) (Iceland/United Kingdom and Ireland) in Resolution 8.2 Adoption of the Amendments to the AEWA Annexes, adopted at the 8th Meeting of Parties.
The amendment lists the Iceland/United Kingdom and Ireland population of the Greylag Goose (Anser anser) in Table 1 of Annex 3 to the Agreement as Column A Category 3(e)*. According to Annex 3, the species listed in this Category may only be hunted under the auspices of an International Species Action Plan (Action Plan). The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is working with the Government of Iceland and the Agreement Secretariat to endeavour to agree an Action Plan for the Greylag Goose, and until it is finalised the United Kingdom requires a reservation to continue to control the Greylag Goose population where it causes serious agricultural damage. It is the intention of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to consider withdrawing the reservation once an Action Plan is in place for the Greylag Goose. This reservation applies to the United Kingdom.