Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-05-04-Speech-1-164"
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"en.20090504.21.1-164"2
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"Madam President, first I all, I should like to thank the rapporteur, Mrs Wallis, and the draftsmen of the opinions, Mr Martin, Mr Brepoels and Mrs Mathieu, for their exceptional work. In particular, I should like to thank the chairman of the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection, Mrs McCarthy, for her positive contribution as regards this specific proposal.
The fact that agreement was reached at first reading demonstrates the political will of the Community institutions to deal promptly with the two main problems relating to the trade in seal products, namely the fragmentation of the internal market and the need to safeguard animal welfare. This particular agreement contains three decisive elements: the first relates to the harmonisation of the internal market and is a ban on the trade in seal products on the European Union market. It will apply both to products produced here and to imported products. As you no doubt know, seals are hunted both inside and outside the Community. They are used to produce products such as meat, oil, blubber and products from their organs, fur and skin. These products are traded on various markets, including the Community market. For some of these products, such as Omega 3 capsules or tanned skins or seal furs, it is difficult, if not impossible for consumers to distinguish them from similar products which do not come from seals. Seal hunting and the way it is carried out has resulted in the expression of serious reaction and concern by the public and by numerous governments which are particularly enlightened about animal welfare. These concerns are caused by the way in which seals are hunted, the methods used to kill them and the pain which they cause. The public’s indignation is clear from its massive participation in the relevant public dialogue, but it is also eloquently expressed in the very large number of letters and petitions which I have received over the past two years. The citizens can now be sure that seal products will no longer be available on the market.
A second important element in the proposal is the logical exemption of Inuit and other indigenous communities. The aim is not to touch the basic economic and social
of these communities, which have traditionally depended on seal hunting. It should be noted that this sort of hunting is an historical element of their culture and cultural identity and is a source of income which contributes to their survival.
The third element is the exemption for small-scale hunting. Thus fishermen engaged in incidental seal hunting will be allowed, but only for the purpose of sustainable management of marine resources, to place seal products on the market on a not-for-profit basis, in order to cover their related expenses. In accordance with the fundamental principle of this regulation, there must be no commercial aspect to this specific activity. The Commission will approve detailed application measures clarifying how the above two exemptions are to be applied under the comitology procedure and following scrutiny by Parliament.
I hope that Parliament, like the Council and the Commission, will support this specific compromise package overall. The text in question makes provision for the harmonisation of the internal market and, at the same time, addresses the concerns of European citizens about animal welfare in connection with seal hunting. The European Commission is in a position to accept in full the compromise package, in order to reach agreement on the regulation in question at first reading."@en1
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