EU: The Commission adopts proposals to protect whales around the world

20 December 2007

The European Commission has adopted proposals to step up the protection of whales. Although whales are protected in European waters, this is not the same in international waters. One cause of this situation is the absence of a unified European Union position at the International Whaling Commission (IWC), which weakens the EU action and deprives it of possible leverage.

The new proposal- for a Council Decision would enable the European Union to decide on unified positions to be taken in the context of IWC meetings, allowing it to exert its political and moral weight more effectively.

The proposed Decision supports the current moratorium on commercial whaling, proposes the setting up of whale sanctuaries and encourages the use of non-lethal methods to collect scientific data. Despite the moratorium, whales are still being hunted in considerable numbers by a small number of States.

If agreed by Council, this unified position would be a tangible step towards the effective protection of whales at international level.

The next meeting of the IWC is in June 2008.

Source: The Commission adopts proposals to protect whales around the world (scroll)
Author: EU:

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