EC/Canada, Russia agreement: agreement on humane trapping standards

Adopting the report by Mr Carlos PIMENTA (PPE, P) on the signature and conclusion of the international agreement on humane trapping, the European Parliament voted to reject the agreement as inadequate and ineffective. In particular it regretted that over sixteen months after imports of furs from third countries which used leghold traps had been banned (in accordance with Regulation 3254/91/EEC) and over four months after the Council deadline to start negotiations with third parties on this subject had expired, the draft agreement: - failed to offer satisfactory solutions in terms of either animal protection or trade; - permitted the continued use of leghold traps in third countries for at least another four years and might allow some types of leghold traps to be classified as humane; - substantially failed to reflect the position of the EU's scientific experts as regards the welfare of trapped species and the extent to which the traps used are selective. Furthermore, no agreement had been reached with the USA. Accordingly, it called on the Council and the Commission to: - reject the agreement; - apply the import ban immediately; - continue negotiations with third countries in order to reach a comprehensive agreement, including a ban on leghold traps within a fixed timescale, the use of selective trapping methods and the establishment of means of enforcement without derogations and making provision for representatives of indigenous populations and animal protection organizations to attend negotiations in a consultative capacity; - ensure that the rights of indigenous trappers are guaranteed under special provisions. Finally, Parliament criticized the fact that the legally binding deadline of four years for a total ban on traditional leghold traps for which provision was made in the version of the agreement dated 24 January 1997 (COM(97)0017 - CNS97019) had not been included in the version of the agreement dated 21 May 1997.�