Seal fur trade ban
Ground-breaking WTO ruling upholds EU seal product ban on moral grounds
The World Trade Organisation today issued its final panel report rejecting the challenge by Canada and Norway of the EU’s ban on the trade in seal products. The Greens welcomed the outcome, notably the justification of the EU ban on moral grounds. Reacting to the report, Green MEP Carl Schlyter (Sweden) said:
"This ground-breaking ruling is a vindication of the EU's action in banning the trade in seal products. Crucially, the WTO panel ruled that the EU ban was justified on grounds of public morals. Assuming this is upheld, it would be a watershed moment for conservation, animal rights and species protection.
"The Greens pushed for the EU to introduce a ban on seal products, following on from the successful Dutch and Belgian bans, with a view to ensuring the EU played a proactive role in reducing the scale of cruel commercial seal killing across the world. Taking this action is the prerogative of the EU and we are happy that the Canadian and Norwegian challenge has failed to change this. If those countries want to continue cruelly slaughtering seals, it is a sad decision but it is their decision, just as it is the EU's right to decide to ban these products. Clearly, today's ruling means the EU will have to address specific issues, like the Innuit exemption, more coherently, but it is a welcome endorsement of the EU's approach."
