16/09/2026
IAF Meeting on CITES Requirements for Exporting Appendix I Raptors
📍 IAF Office, Brussels + online via Zoom
🗓️ Monday, 28 September 2026
🕙 10:00–18:00 CEST
The International Association for Falconry and Conservation of Birds of Prey will convene a hybrid meeting on Monday, 28 September 2026, to consider forthcoming CITES registration requirements affecting certain commercial exports of captive-bred Appendix I raptors from the European Union.
The meeting will take place in two sessions:
10:00–13:00 CEST – Internal exchange for the falconry and raptor-breeding community14:00–18:00 CEST – Open stakeholder session on falconry, CITES and raptor conservation
Under Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/130, applications submitted after 31 December 2026 for the commercial import, export or re-export of captive-bred CITES Appendix I animals will require the applicant to demonstrate that the specimen originates from a breeding facility registered with the CITES Secretariat for the species concerned.
For European raptor breeders, the principal relevance of this change is the commercial export of captive-bred Appendix I raptors from the European Union to countries outside the EU. It does not introduce a general registration requirement for breeding or ordinary trade within the European Union.
Registration as a breeding operation also entails additional requirements. These include demonstrating the legal and non-detrimental origins of breeding stock and making a continuing, meaningful contribution based on the conservation needs of the species concerned.
The IAF has received information from breeders and falconry organisations in more than six EU Member States indicating that national authorities are taking significantly different approaches to interpreting and preparing to implement these requirements. The resulting uncertainty and inconsistency could have practical consequences not only for breeders, but also for the wider falconry community which in many countries depends upon captive-bred birds.
The meeting will bring together falconry clubs, raptor breeders, conservation specialists, sustainable-use stakeholders and experts familiar with CITES and other relevant international conservation frameworks.
Participants will consider:
the scope and practical implications of the forthcoming requirements;differences in interpretation and implementation between countries;experiences of breeders and national falconry organisations;shared challenges and possible responses;constructive engagement with national authorities and international institutions;possible identification and record-keeping approaches; andmeaningful conservation contributions by the falconry and raptor-breeding communities.
The morning session will provide a focused exchange within the falconry and raptor-breeding community. It will include brief reports on national developments, examples of coordination within the breeding community, regional perspectives, and discussion of shared priorities.
The afternoon session will open the discussion to a wider range of organisations and stakeholders. It will connect the immediate regulatory issue with the broader roles of falconry and responsible captive breeding in sustainable use, adaptive management and raptor conservation.
The IAF is organising this meeting as a facilitator and honest broker. It is not intended to represent the commercial interests of individual breeders or to make commercial raptor breeding a separate area of IAF activity. Its purpose is to support an informed and constructive response to a regulatory development that could directly affect falconry and the conservation work undertaken by the falconry community.
Anyone interested in participating is invited to register using the following form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdD1_n6T2ZklAyS7tJCNEK6UXjvbxQniOL8v1XvDM7sZnXVEA/viewform
Registered participants will receive the necessary information for joining the meeting online. In-person attendance at the IAF Office is limited and will be confirmed separately by the organisers. Completing the public registration form does not by itself confirm an in-person place.
Attendance and any associated travel, accommodation or other expenses are at participants’ own cost.
The detailed meeting agenda will be circulated to registered participants in the coming days.
For further information, please contact the IAF Secretariat at [email protected].
Thank you for registering your organization's interest in the IAF meeting on upcoming CITES requirements for Appendix I raptor breeding, taking place on 28 September 2026 (hybrid, hosted from the IAF Office in Brussels). This short form confirms your final attendance details for those joining online...
