Trade in seal products: conditions for placing on the market

The Commission presented a report on the exercise of the delegated powers conferred on the Commission under regulation (EC) No 1007/2009 as amended by regulation (EU) 2015/1775 on trade in seal products.

Delegation of powers

Regulation (EC) No 1007/2009, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2015/1775 on trade in seal products, provides that if it appears that seal hunting is being conducted primarily for commercial purposes, the Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts to prohibit the placing on the market of seal products from the hunt concerned or to limit the quantity of such products which may be placed on the market.

The regul ation provides that the Commission may adopt delegated acts for a period of five years from 10 October 2015 and that it has to prepare a report on the delegation of powers at the latest nine months before the end of the five-year period.

Exercise of the delegation

During the reporting period, i.e. between 10 October 2015 and 10 January 2020, the Commission did not exercise its delegated powers, as no evidence was provided that a seal hunt had been conducted primarily for commercial reasons.

The Commission sees the need to extend the empowerment beyond the current five-year period, as such commercial practices could occur in the future.