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Thursday, March 11, 2010

A new EU agreement on the protection of species in danger of extinction

The Presidency of the European Union on wednesday secured an agreement aimed at establishing the EU's position in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which will take place at the 15th Conference of the Parties in Doha (Qatar), on 13 to 25 March.The agreement was reached by EU ambassadors on the Permanent Representatives Committee and will require formal confirmation by the Council of Ministers in the next few days. Its purpose is to preserve biodiversity, providing endangered species with an appropriate level of protection within the CITES framework.

The EU is also concerned about the poor state of conservation of the red tuna. To this end, it supports prohibition of international trade, as long as a series of conditions can be met guaranteeing a viable future for fishermen who use traditional methods, and studying possible financial compensation for the affected sectors.

The EU continues to oppose renewal of the ivory trade unless there are adequate mechanisms in place to guarantee that it will not increase the illegal slaughter of elephants.

Furthermore, it considers climate change and the loss of habitat caused by shrinking sea ice to be the main threats to polar bears. Accordingly, the EU will not back the prohibition of international trade.

The Spanish Presidency will head the EU delegation during the international negotiations in Doha.

Source  Spanish Presidency

More information  Spanish Presidency

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