The European Commission on 17th December decided to register a European Citizens’ Initiative entitled ‘Stop Finning – Stop the Trade‘ related to sharks and rays.
The purpose of the Initiative is to ‘end the trade of fins in the EU including the import, export and transit of fins other than if naturally attached to the animal’s body.’
The organisers state that ‘although the removal of fins on board of EU vessels and in EU waters is prohibited and sharks must be landed with their fins naturally attached, the EU is among the biggest exporters of fins and a major transit hub for the global fin trade’.
Under the Pacts, the EU can take legal action in areas of common fisheries policy and common commercial policy.
The Commission therefore considers the initiative legally admissible and decided to register it.
The registration of this initiative will take place on 2 January 2020, allowing the organizers to start, within next 6 months, a one-year process of collection of signatures of support.
