EU must protect the Polar Bear at CITES CoP16

Posted on 27/02/2013

International Polar Bear Day takes place every year on 27 February and invites people to reflect upon the plight of one of the world’s most charismatic threatened species, impacted by climate change, induced habitat loss and trade in their body parts and skin.

This year more importantly, 176 countries will vote on whether or not to end the international trade in polar bears at the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP16) which begins on 3 March in Bangkok, Thailand.

The majority of EU citizens, the European Parliament and the majority of EU member states are supportive of the proposal, but the European Commission is not in favour and is pushing for a compromise.

Tomorrow EU Ministers will adopt an EU common position for CITES CoP16 to support the polar bear proposal or at the very least keep the EU position open for negotiations in Bangkok.

Eurogroup believes that the EU has a serious responsibility at CITES CoP16 and calls on the EU to follow the position of the USA and Russia which are calling for a ban on international trade in polar bears.

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