AVIS D’ACQUISITION LÉGALE

This guide, developed by Forest Trends and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), provides a comprehensive framework for CITES Management Authorities (MAs) to establish Legal Acquisition Findings (LAFs). It outlines the process for verifying that specimens of species listed in CITES Appendices were acquired in accordance with national laws, emphasizing the importance of a traceable Chain of Custody (CoC) from the point of origin to the exporter.

• A Legal Acquisition Finding (LAF) is a mandatory prerequisite for the issuance of a CITES export permit, requiring the Management Authority (MA) to be convinced that a specimen was not obtained in violation of the state's flora and fauna preservation laws.
• Management Authorities are encouraged to adopt a risk-based approach to verification, where the amount of information required from a permit applicant is proportional to the probability that the specimen was acquired illegally.
• For timber species, the guide recommends verifying the CoC through evidence of land titles, collection rights, payment of taxes, and compliance with annual allowable cut (AAC) limits.
• The guide identifies specific risk indicators for specimens claimed to be captive-bred or ranch-raised, such as production levels exceeding the reproductive potential of the parental stock or specimens with injuries from predators.
• In cases of 'Introduction from the Sea' (IFS), the state of introduction must determine if the specimen was acquired in accordance with international conservation measures and not through Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.
• The guide outlines a multi-step process for establishing national LAF guidelines, including identifying legal authority, evaluating national flora and fauna laws, and publishing guidelines to ensure transparency and consistency.
• If a specimen is found to have been obtained in violation of preservation laws, the Management Authority must inform law enforcement agencies, such as the National Police or prosecutors, before refusing the permit.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2021). AVIS D’ACQUISITION LÉGALE. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Legal-Acquisition-Findings-Handbook_French.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. AVIS D’ACQUISITION LÉGALE. 2021. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Legal-Acquisition-Findings-Handbook_French.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=AVIS D’ACQUISITION LÉGALE |date=2021 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Legal-Acquisition-Findings-Handbook_French.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2021avis, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{AVIS D’ACQUISITION LÉGALE}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2021}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Legal-Acquisition-Findings-Handbook_French.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }