Mr Ioannis Paleokrassas, member of the Commission in charge of the Environnement policy, expressed his satisfaction with the fact that Greece became a Party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora as of 6 January. Although Greece already implements this important Convention in the framework of a Community Regulation which is in force since 1984, the Commissioner described this step as "a confirmation of Greece's commitment to nature conservation in general and to the protection of endangered species in particular" Greece is the eleventh Member State to have joined CITES and the Commissioner hoped that the Greek initiative will soon be followed by the accession of Ireland. * * * *
