European Parliament resolution on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
C 377/364 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 29. 12. 2000 Thursday 16 March 2000 4. Calls for immediate action be taken in respect of the authorities of the countries in the region, parti- cularly Montenegro which, despite progress made recently, remains one of the most active centres for smuggling and the criminal gangs behind it; Considers that judicial cooperation and measures to combat organised crime taken by the authorities 5. of the countries in the region should be an essential component of their relations with the EU; 6. Calls on the Commission to begin investigations to ascertain the financial implications for the Mem- ber States and the European Union of excise duty revenue lost through the extensive illegal trade in smuggled cigarettes; Considers that the legal bodies and police forces of the countries concerned should be put in a posi- 7. tion to implement measures to combat this type of crime more and more effectively; 8. Is convinced of the need to promote the economic and social development of communities as a way of tackling the causes underlying the increase in smuggling and for this purpose calls on the Commission, the Council and the Member States concerned to promote specific development projects in the areas hit by this phenomenon; 9. Calls on the Council and the Commission to ensure that they participate actively in the ‘Conference on Development and Security in the Adriatic and Ionian area’ on 19 and 20 May 2000, as an effective contribution within the framework of the Stability Pact, as stated in the conclusions of the Tampere extra- ordinary European Council; Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments 10. of the Member States and the authorities of the countries of south-eastern Europe. 16. CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) B5-0243, 0249, 0260, 0269 and 0275/2000 European Parliament resolution on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) The European Parliament, 2 having regard to the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES to be held from 10 to 20 April 2000 in Nairobi, Kenya, A. aware of the importance of a world-wide Convention for the regulation of trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora in order to avoid over-exploitation, B. whereas CITES is the largest wildlife conservation agreement in existence with 148 parties to the Convention, which seeks to stop or regulate international trade that would be damaging or ultimately cause the extinction of a species, C. aware that the trade in endangered species is at the heart of the relationship between the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable development in a way that includes the needs of local populations, D. whereas the over-exploitation of wild species, the destruction of habitats, and the illegal trade in wild fauna, animals and animal parts are the main causes of the impoverishment of the Earth’s biodiversity, E. whereas it has not yet been possible to achieve for all the species concerned the general objective of the Convention, namely to limit the international trade in specimens of endangered species of wild fauna and flora to level that is not detrimental for their survival, 29. 12. 2000 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 377/365 Thursday 16 March 2000 F. whereas the pangolin, a scaly-skinned, termite-eating mammal found in Asia, is threatened by over- exploitation for international trade in its skins, scales and meat which are used in Asian medicinal products, G. noting the critical situation in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park in Eastern Congo, where hundreds of protected gorillas have been slaughtered by poachers who benefit from impunity and the fact that park rangers have been disarmed for security reasons, H. recognising that public awareness in consumer states has been and remains essential to the control of poaching and illegal international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora, I. whereas many African countries have reported that the legal sale of ivory to Japan has caused increased elephant poaching and illegal ivory trade, old ivory trade routes have reopened, the black- market price of ivory has risen, and African countries are unable to cope with increased enforcement costs, J. whereas the hawksbill sea turtle is a critically endangered species which is declining in number in most areas of the Caribbean due to illegal tortoiseshell trade, hunting for food, destruction of nesting areas and incidental catch, K. whereas a significant number of hawksbill sea turtles found at the feeding grounds in Cuban water originate from nesting sites in other countries where populations are depleted, 1. Calls on states which have not yet acceded to CITES to do so without delay; Calls on the CITES Parties to introduce and implement appropriate measures to sanction those Parties 2. which have not taken positive steps to establish adequate legislation for the implementation of CITES; 3. Calls on the CITES Parties to strengthen collaboration for the implementation of the Convention by exchanging know-how and by providing additional financial support for training and technical assistance; Urges the CITES Parties to enact and implement comprehensive domestic trade prohibitions on tiger 4. products and tiger derivatives and significantly increase resources for enforcement of such legislation; Urges the CITES Parties to assist the Government of India in establishing specialised enforcement 5. units and a national wildlife crime unit by providing essential technical and financial support; Calls on the Commission and the Member States of the European Union to enhance cooperation 6. with wildlife exporting countries, many of whose rural people depend on wildlife trade for their livelihood, and give their support to countries which have been able to improve the conservation status of species of wild fauna and flora; 7. Expresses its concern about the welfare of animals in regions affected by war, in particular the Great Lakes region, and calls on all parties to avoid further suffering to animals and to take appropriate measures to avoid unnecessary wildlife disaster; Urges the CITES Parties to take strong measures to identify, investigate, and take action to halt any 8. potential markets for the illegal cat skin trade; Urges the CITES Parties to support proposals to return all African elephant populations to CITES 9. Appendix I and to stop international trade in elephants and their parts, including ivory; Urges the CITES Parties to oppose all proposals to transfer minke and grey whales from CITES 10. Appendix I to Appendix II in order to allow international trade in whale specimens; C 377/366 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 29. 12. 2000 Thursday 16 March 2000 Urges the CITES Parties to support proposals to transfer the Black Sea bottlenose dolphin from 11. CITES Appendix II to Appendix I to prohibit international trade in these animals; 12. Urges the CITES Parties to support the listing of the basking shark in CITES Appendix II; Urges the CITES Parties to oppose proposals by Cuba and other states to transfer the hawksbill 13. turtle from Appendix I to II; 14. Urges the CITES Parties and especially the Member States of the European Union to support the proposal by India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the United States of America to transfer the Indian, Chinese and Malayan pangolins from CITES Appendix II to Appendix I in order to halt international trade in their parts and products; Seeks the particular support of the Commission and Member States of the European Union in all 15. these matters; Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the Parties to 16. CITES. 17. Countering racism in the EU A5-0049/2000 European Parliament resolution on countering racism and xenophobia in the European Union (COM(1999) 268 3 C5-0310/1999 3 C5-0015/2000 3 1999/2205(COS)) The European Parliament, 2 having regard to the report of the Commission on the implementation of the European Year Against Racism (1997) (COM(1999) 268 2 C5-0310/1999) (1), 2 having regard to the first Annual Report 1998 of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia of December 1999 (C5-0015/2000) 2 having regard to the relevant international legal instruments of the United Nations, the International Labour Organisation, Unesco and the Council of Europe and, in particular, the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the 1992 European Charter for Regional or Minor- ity Languages and the 1995 Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, 2 having regard to Article 29 of the EU Treaty, which expressly lays down the prevention and combat- ing of racism and xenophobia in order to provide citizens with a high level of safety within an area of freedom, security and justice as an objective of the European Union, and to Article 13 of the EC Treaty, which provides for the possibility that ‘the Council, acting unanimously on a proposal from the Commission and after consulting the European Parliament, may take appropriate action to combat discrimination based … on racial or ethnic origin …’, 2 having regard to the proposal for a directive implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin (COM(1999) 566) of 25 November 1999 (2), to the proposal for a Directive establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation (COM(1999) 565) of 25 November 1999 (3) and to the proposal for a Decision establish- ing a Community Action Programme to combat discrimination 2001-2006 (COM(1999) 567) of 25 November 1999 (4), (1) OJ C 310, 3. 6. 1999. (2) OJ C 67, 25. 11. 1999. (3) OJ C 68, 25. 11. 1999. (4) OJ C46, 25. 11. 1999