Brussels, 11/03/2010 (Agence Europe) - The European Union has agreed the position it will take at the 15th conference of the parties to the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to be held in Doha on 13-25 March. The agreement reached on Wednesday 10 March by the ambassadors of the 27 member states (COREPER) will be formally approved by the Council in the next few days. The EU, concerned by the poor state of bluefin tuna stocks, will support a ban on the international trade in this species through its inclusion in Appendix I of the Convention which lists the most threatened species; it will, however, leave the door open for a review of this measure (see related article). It will also back the inclusion of red and pink corals in CITES Appendix II, which, while not imposing a ban on the trade in these products, should mean that trade can be regulated in such a way as to offer them best protection.
The EU will continue to oppose authorisation of resumption of the ivory trade, without there being mechanisms which can guarantee that resumption will not lead to an increase in illegal hunting of elephants. Taking the view that the main threat to the survival of the polar bear is climate change and the loss of biodiversity resulting from the melting of the ice cap, the EU will not support inclusion of this species in CITES Appendix I. (A.N./transl.rt)