Renewed effort to enforce EU ban on leghold traps

Date: 23/05/1996

By Michael Mann

THE European Parliament is redoubling its efforts to force the Commission to implement a ban on the import of furs from animals caught using leghold traps, originally agreed back in 1991.

MEPs will vote next month on a report from Portuguese Liberal MEP Carlos Pimenta on the Commission's decision to delay the ban until the end of this year.

Amendments proposed by Pimenta would introduce into EU law the legal tools needed to allow the ban to come into force, the absence of which was used by the Commission last December as one of the justifications for its failure to implement the ban.

Pimenta's report, already adopted by the Parliament's environment committee, will be voted on by the full assembly at its plenary session next month.

MEPs have rejected the idea of taking the Commission to the European Court of Justice for failing to honour its legal duty to implement the ban.

Environment committee chairman Ken Collins said they had concluded it was “probably not worthwhile pursuing the legal case, even though the Commission's behaviour has been reprehensible”. But he stressed that the Parliament was “hardening its attitude”.

Pimenta, supported by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), is looking to EU environment ministers to introduce the ban.

Stanley Johnson, IFAW's European Affairs Director, claims that, strictly speaking, the ban is already legally in force and accuses the Commission of attempting to delay its introduction indefinitely. “The Commission has also been trying to push the Council to draw up its common position before the Parliament reaches its opinion. It's very encouraging that at least three countries, the UK, the Netherlands and Portugal, said they weren't ready to continue the discussions,” he says.

IFAW believes the Commission's argument that the delay was designed to allow further discussions on humane trapping standards with Russia, Canada and the US was merely “an alibi” to cover its determination not to offend the Canadians and Americans.

But Commission officials are undeterred by the latest moves in the Parliament, claiming that Pimenta's amendments are a long way from being taken on board by all MEPs, let alone the Council of Ministers. “Even the Parliament isn't speaking with one voice and it certainly won't get a majority of member states on its side,” said an official.

He also maintained that talks with the three major trapping nations were “progressing rather well”, adding: “We are confident of a framework by the end of the year which will set up a dynamic process of improving all trapping methods.”

Despite the decision by the Dutch government to introduce the ban unilaterally at the start of this year, and Johnson's claim that other member states are having their doubts about the Commission's approach, the official insisted that there “was nothing to suggest that member states have wavered”, adding: “As far as we're aware, 14 are still in favour of delaying the ban.”