Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-09-16-Speech-4-044"
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"en.20040916.2.4-044"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, I believe that we can congratulate ourselves today, as this House is putting forward a resolution supported by all political groups. I would very much like all Members to vote for it as it stands. Our message is of course also directed to the Council, which is not present, and this is a pity as it is the Council which will represent us in Bangkok. We are also inviting the Commission to comply with this resolution, which will reflect the voice of the peoples of Europe during the final votes in Bangkok.
The resolution calls for better protection of endangered species, and follows on from the most forceful measures taken in the fight against the decline of wild fauna and flora. We are all aware, and it has already been noted by a number of Members, that all possible steps should be taken to support every initiative aimed at saving species which can still be saved, because nature continues to be destroyed at a breathtaking speed.
Having followed the work carried out in this House on an action plan for biodiversity conservation and on the Convention on Biological Diversity, I can state that biodiversity obviously remains the poor relation among our environmental policies. I would even go so far as to say that this is undoubtedly the weak link of sustainable development. We are aware that, as the 25 Member States of the European Union, we are the largest consumers of wild species. Mrs Doyle has drawn up a list, and it is truly horrifying; millions of species are taken from their habitats around the world for our pleasure alone, not for our survival but for our pleasure alone. Legal trade in species is an enormous market.
It is therefore easy to imagine the volume of illegal trade, and indeed some say that its value is equal to that of drug trafficking. This would explain the problems encountered in implementing more stringent protection measures for certain species. Be that as it may, we are calling unanimously for the precautionary principle to be adopted as a basic rule for all decisions taken in the framework of CITES.
Let us take as an example the white shark, made famous by the film ‘Jaws’. This is a perfect illustration, as we are well aware of how difficult it is to carry out studies on this animal. Given that this species is endangered, we are therefore calling for a zero quota in the name of the precautionary principle, and this is why we continue to support this proposal.
The 20-year moratorium on all ivory trading proposed by Kenya, and supported by 12 countries which are also home to a large number of African elephants, needs our support. As the world expert on elephants, Professor Pfeffer, has said for many years, legal trade in an endangered species has the immediate effect of reviving illegal trade in the species. We know that it is the survival of a species which is at stake, and the 12 African countries concerned have also realised this. As European countries, we should therefore support this position, and we must also support the transfer of the lion from Appendix 2 to Appendix 1. Why? Because, Mr President, we, as Europeans, are going on holiday and hunting the male lion, which contributes to the destruction of this species on a global scale.
It is for all these reasons that we should support these proposals, and I would ask you, Mr President, to allow me to say something on the issue of secrecy, which is an extremely important issue. We have discussed this issue in committee, and we cannot accept a vote by secret ballot when putting final resolutions to the vote. Such a practice would leave the door open to all kinds of bargaining, and out of respect for the Member States’ commitments and for our own principles, a transparent decision-making process should remain the golden rule in international conventions."@en1
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