Empowering France to accede to the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles

The Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety and the Committee on Fisheries adopted the report by Pierfrancesco MARAN (S&D, IT) and Mélissa CAMARA (Green/EFA, FR) on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council empowering France to accede to the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles.

The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the proposal as follows:

As a reminder, on 4 February 2025, the French authorities requested the empowerment by the European Union for France to accede to the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles. The objective of the Convention is to promote the protection, conservation, and recovery of marine turtle populations and the habitats on which they depend, based on the best available data and taking into account the environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural characteristics of the Parties.

Certain French outermost regions, such as French Guiana, that are situated within the Convention Area are exposed to illegal fishing activities1a which also result in large numbers of incidental capture of sea turtles. Such circumstances require enhanced operational cooperation with neighbouring countries in order to safeguard these protected species and ensure the integrity of their habitats.

Therefore, Members proposed that France should inform the European Parliament and the Council on the accession to the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles and consult the Commission, and relevant stakeholders, in particular local stakeholders on positions related to decisions, measures and recommendations taken under the Convention, and regularly inform the Commission on adoption of those decisions, measures and recommendations. The Commission should regularly inform the European Parliament of the decisions, measures and recommendations taken under the Convention.