Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-09-16-Speech-4-041"
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"en.20040916.2.4-041"2
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"Mr President, the resolution on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora is an important step in preparation for the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention. I agree with its recommendations.
Because the Convention divides protected species into different categories of commercial exploitation, it provides a sufficiently versatile tool for keeping problems in check. The proposal before us now will in some cases mean protection will be more rigid, while in some cases it will be slacker. Both of these gestures are appropriate and justified, and they reflect a balanced, scientific perspective. A few icons of animal protection, such as the classic bald-headed eagle, will be moved from the total-ban category to one of tightly controlled trade. It may be interpreted as an encouraging sign that the fact that it was an icon proved useful. Certain protected species have begun to recover. A sound basis on which to proceed is scientific evidence: the content of the appendices can be made more stringent or more relaxed if the scientific evidence suggests there is a need to make it so. The all-important issue is not strictness, but sustainable development.
It is nevertheless important that it should be harder to relax the rules than tighten them up. The reason is that the stakes are very high indeed: we are gambling with nature, which will not be recovered if it is lost. For that reason it is vital that the precautionary principle is still cited as a basic tenet; this, despite the fact that, to the ears of many of my colleagues and associates, that phrase sounds flat and empty, as the use of the phrase ‘the precautionary principle’ has not always meant that the principle has been followed. Now, however, the phrase is apt.
Although the scope of the CITES Convention is only restricted to trade, perhaps models for further international environmental agreements could also be found by analysing it. At the same time, we have to remember the concern raised in the resolution and focus more attention on the monitoring of implementation. The EU is unfortunately one of the largest markets for the illegal trade in wild animals and plants."@en1
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