Norway critical to the EU’s proposed ban on trade in seal products

The EU is close to adopting a trade ban on seal products that may be incompatible with international trade rules. The European Parliament will vote on the proposed trade ban during the plenary session in Strasbourg from 4 to 7 May. Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre believes the proposed ban could affect Norway unfairly.

Jonas Gahr Støre comments: “An EU ban on trade in seal products could restrict our freedom to manage our own marine resources. Norwegian sealing takes a sustainable and modern approach to harvesting marine resources. We expect the EU to take due account of the scientific basis for Norwegian sealing. The proposed ban is a serious challenge for us as a close partner of the EU.”

Mr Støre has urged the EU member states to take full account of the scientific facts when making their decision. The European Commission’s own impact assessment describes Norwegian sealing methods as fully acceptable. The seal hunt is supervised by official inspectors, and the hunters have to pass annual shooting tests. Norwegian sealing is probably the most regulated and best controlled form of hunting practised anywhere in the world.

The proposed ban could constitute a dangerous precedent and affect trade in animal products that are harvested in a sustainable and ethical way. Norway has reiterated its willingness to cooperate with the European Commission on the development of international standards for seal hunting.

“We should be able to expect our closest partner to engage in active and mutually binding cooperation on the management of marine resources. A ban on trade in seal products would, in our view, run counter to the EU’s international trade obligations. In order to safeguard Norwegian interests, we have therefore informed the EU that we will request consultations under the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism if the EU introduces an extensive ban”, Mr Støre adds.