Trade, possession, and transport of protected plants and animals

Which plants and animals are protected?

Plants and animals are protected if they are covered by:

• international treaties and directives (in Dutch), such as the Birds Directive and the CITES regulation
• Dutch regulations, such as the Environmental Activities Decree (in Dutch) and the Red Lists

You can find out if a plant or animal species is protected in the Dutch-language species register (Nederlands Soortenregister).

Rules for protected species

If a plant or animal is protected then rules apply to its trade, possession, and transport. There are different rules for:

• species covered by the international trade agreement CITES. For this, you must comply with the CITES regulations. This means, among other things, that you must request special documents when you import or export a CITES species. You are not allowed to trade, possess, or transport some CITES species.
• species covered by other conventions and directives. You may only trade, possess, or transport many of these species if you have permission to do so. The website of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) tells you where, how, and for which species you should apply for permission (in Dutch).

Please note: The rules for protected species often also apply to products made using these plants and animals. For example:

• eggs or feathers
• ivory objects or jewellery
• bags, belts, or shoes made from animal skins
• musical instruments made from certain types of wood

Other obligations

Additional obligations apply to some CITES species and other protected species:

• You must apply a marking, such as a leg ring or chip (in Dutch), to animals listed under the:

  • Birds Directive
  • CITES Appendix A
• You must keep records for certain species (in Dutch) listed under:

  • CITES Appendix A and Appendix B
  • Appendix I of the Convention on Migratory Species
  • Appendix II of the Convention on Migratory Species
  • Appendix IV of the Habitats Directive

Possession of and trade in dead animals

Do you possess, trade, or transport dead animals to prepare and preserve them, or to have them preserved? Then the rules for preparing animals (taxidermy) apply. Sometimes you need a permit for this and sometimes it is not allowed.

Trade in invasive alien species (exotics)

Exotics are non-native plants and animals. These species do not occur naturally in the Netherlands. Sometimes exotic species are harmful to Dutch nature. For example, because they bring diseases with them. We call these harmful species invasive alien species (IAS).

The European Union keeps track of invasive alien species on the Union List. You may not possess, trade, or transport animals and plants on the Union List. Additional rules also apply to invasive alien species. Do you trade in exotic species and does a species you trade get added to the Union List? Then the transitional rules for traders apply to you.