European Parliament’s Environment Committee strongly supports the protection of endangered species

Posted on 24/01/2013

Eurogroup applauds the European Parliament’s Environment Committee for sending a strong signal to the Commission and Members States that the EU should support increased protection for endangered species such as the polar bear, manta rays, sharks and certain reptiles popular in the pet trade.

The non-binding Motion for a Resolution on the EU common position for the 16th Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP16), which will take place in Thailand from 3-14 March 2013, will now go to a vote in plenary session at the European Parliament in early February. Eurogroup calls on MEPs to maintain the integrity of the current text and for the Commission and Member States to fully consider the Parliament’s opinion when finalizing the EU common position.

With 27 votes the EU plays a pivotal role influencing whether or not proposals are accepted by the 177 Parties to CITES. Eurogroup commends the EU for its leadership on proposals to improve transparency in voting, address potential conflicts of interest in CITES committees and to list several shark species in the CITES appendices. We call on the EU to support proposals to address laundering of wild-caught animals as captive bred, trade in snakes and turtles including strategies for handling confiscated animals, and to end commercial trade in polar bears.