On behalf of the European People's Party, the largest political group in the EP, Dubravka Šuica, the Head of the Croatian EPP Delegation in the European Parliament, put forward the EPP's position on the draft Council decision on the accession of the European Union to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

 
"By joining CITES the European Union confirms its commitment to environmental policy and the fulfillment of its objectives. Also important here is the development component, as well as legal and sustainable international trade. In order to effectively implement the Convention cooperation of customs, police and inspection services is required, but until now the CITES Convention was carried out in accordance with the founding treaties of the Union, or the chapter relating to the protection of the environment. The most important thing is that this Convention establishes control of the endangered wild flora and fauna all over the world and that the European Union be a global player in this area," said MEP Šuica.
 
In fact, with over $19 billion of illegal trade in endangered animal and plant species, after drug trafficking, counterfeit goods and human trafficking, this is the most profitable form of illegal profits. CITES is more than 40 years old and directly protects more than 35,000 endangered animal and plant species, therefore MEPs agreed that this matter should seriously addressed so that many endangered species would not only be available in encyclopedias.