The Horticultural Trades Association hosted a webinar to provide further details on a public consultation looking at options to change the UK’s legislative approach to trading in plant varieties governed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

More than 80 participants from across the UK and Europe attended the webinar to hear directly from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) about proposals to ease barriers for the legitimate trade of CITES species across the UK border and remove as much bureaucracy as possible for compliant businesses.

Guest speaker Kristopher Blake from the CITES policy department at Defra discussed potential changes they are seeking views on: fees and charges, the removal of import permits for certain types of plant trades, and the introduction of civil sanctions. He emphasised what reform to CITES legislation would look like: the implications for the industry, for export and import permits, and its relevance to and interplay with potential outcomes from the upcoming Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) negotiations with the EU. However, regardless of an SPS agreement, CITES will still need to be applied between the UK and the EU.

Sally Cullimore, HTA’s Technical and Trade Policy Manager, said:  “The high level of attendance and engagement at the HTA's webinars regarding CITES shows the demand for and interest in streamlining processes for legitimately traded artificially propagated CITES specimens. CITES checks and permits are an additional piece in the puzzle of cross-border trade and need to be looked at as part of the overarching UK approach to the plant trade. The long-awaited CITES reform consultation gives traders a variety of options to consider easing this situation, and we urge businesses to engage with this consultation - either individually or through their trade associations - to get the best outcome for the sector.”

The CITES consultation opened on 11 September and runs for 6 weeks, closing on 23 October 2025. At the end of the consultation period, Defra will place a summary of responses on the UK Government’s website.

HTA members can watch the recording of the webinar on the HTA website: hta.org.uk/cites-webinar

To participate in the CITES reform proposals, visit: consult.defra.gov.uk/cites/cites-reform-proposals/ or contact CITES.UKMA@defra.gov.uk