Voluntary Report - public distribution

**Date:** 3/18/2005

**GAIN Report Number:** E35054

E35054

**EU-25**

**Trade Policy Monitoring**

**EU Debate on Humane Trapping Standards for Certain Animal Species**

**2005**

**Approved by:**

![](media/image1.wmf)Norval Francis

U.S. Mission to the EU

**Prepared by:**

Justina Torry

**Report Highlights:**

After years of delay, the European Union (EU) is drafting an EU
directive to comply with the "Agreement on International Humane Trapping
Standards" (AIHTS). The Directive, which is intended, to implement their
agreement with Canada and Russia on humane trapping, is being met with
opposition in EU Parliament. Although the US is not a party to the
agreement, a parallel, non-binding understanding, memorialized as an
agreed minute and side letters, was reached with the EU in 1997. The US
is concerned that the EU Directive should accurately reflect the AIHTS
and is closely monitoring developments in the European Parliament as the
EU directive advances.

Includes PSD Changes: No

Includes Trade Matrix: No

Unscheduled Report

Brussels USEU \[BE2\]

\[E3\]

**Summary:**

After years of delay, the European Union (EU) is drafting an EU
directive to comply with the "Agreement on International Humane Trapping
Standards" (AIHTS). The Directive, which is intended, to implement their
agreement with Canada and Russia on humane trapping, is being met with
opposition in EU Parliament. Although the US is not a party to the
agreement, a parallel, non-binding understanding, memorialized as an
agreed minute and side letters, was reached with the EU in 1997. The US
is concerned that the EU Directive should accurately reflect the AIHTS
and is closely monitoring developments in the European Parliament as the
EU directive advances.

The Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (AIHTS)
outlines the obligations of the signatory Parties, with the intent of
leading to full implementation within specified timelines.

**The current state of play in the EU:**

In November 2004 the EU reported that a Commission proposal for a
Directive introducing humane trapping standards for certain animal
species was adopted by the Commission on July 30, 2004. The EU noted
that a study was carried out on behalf of the Commission on how the
obligations of the Agreement are already implemented through existing
legislation in the Member States.

The Commission proposal will have to be adopted by co- decision, which
is a legislative procedure under the EC Treaty. The co-decision
procedure gives the European Parliament the power to enact legislation
jointly with the Council.

The US is concerned that as a result of continued lobbying the EU final
directive could be expanded as it moves through the European Parliament,
thus not accurately reflecting the aim of the AIHTS.

The US feels the current EU proposal is focused on what is necessary to
ensure that the EU meets its international obligations by ensuring that
the humane trapping standards are respected in the EU with regard to the
19 animal species covered by the Agreement.

The current EU proposal covers trapping activities undertaken for the
purpose of wildlife management including pest control, obtaining fur,
skin or meat and for the capture of animals for conservation. In
addition to the proposal on human trapping, EU Council Regulation (EEC)
No 3254/91, which prohibits the use of all leg hold traps in the EU,
will remain in place after adoption of the new Directive.

The European Parliament will discuss the proposal at the Committee on
the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. It is expected that the
European Parliament may deliver its 1st reading opinion by the end of
2005. However to complete the co-decision procedure it may take 1-2
years after that date depending on the complexity of the issues to be
addressed and the possibilities to reach a compromise between the
co-legislators.

**The tentative schedule for Parliamentary discussions is:**

  ------------------------------------ ----------------------------------
  Deadline for translation             11 May 2005

  Examination of draft report          13-14 June 2005

  Deadline for amendments              6 July 2005

  Vote ENVI                            13-15 September 2005

  Plenary session                      October 2005
  ------------------------------------ ----------------------------------

**Background: State of Play in the US:**

Though not a party to the Agreement, the US is committed to ensuring
that the US is in compliance with AIHTS. The U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has been
designated as the U.S. Federal agency responsible for technical
communications related to the separate understanding with the EU on trap
testing and has coordinated funding for the U.S. program in cooperation
with State wildlife management agencies.

The US is committed to animal trap research. Since 1997 the US began a
congressionally-authorized animal trap research program, which has been
coordinated by the International Association of Fish and Wildlife
Agencies (IAFWA). This research program expands upon existing efforts of
state wildlife agencies, and all 50 states support the U.S. animal trap
research program.

Trapping is a management technique used to maintain healthy wild
furbearer populations in the U.S. It is an essential component in
wildlife population research, wildlife restoration programs, protection
of ground-nesting birds and rare species, protection of ecosystems, and
in surveillance for wildlife-borne disease. Trapping programs also
provide for habitat protection, protection of property and public
health.

###### Trade

The main goal of AIHTS is to ensure humane trapping standards are
carried out in each of the signatories to the agreement regarding the 19
animal species covered in the agreement. Although much of the trapping
done in the US is done as part of state government wildlife management
programs and pest control work, a significant portion of trapped animals
eventually end up constituting a part of the international fur trade.
Annually, international wildlife trade is estimated to be worth billions
of dollars.

While trade in hides and skins from farmed animals constitutes an
entirely separate trade category, available trade data on furskins from
unfarmed animals is not detailed enough to show the specific trade in
the 19 species covered by the AIHTS. The following table highlights
EU-US trade in raw furskins (other than raw hides and skins usually used
for leather (HS 4301) and tanned or dressed furskins (including heads,
tails, and other pieces or cuttings (HS 4302). Of the signatories of the
agreement, Canada followed by the US and then Russia accounts for the
most imports of furskins into the EU, while EU exports of furskins are
greatest to the US followed by Russia and then Canada.

EU -- US Trade in Furskins

+----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| ####### HS 4301 & 4302     | **19  | **20  | **20  | **20  | **20  |
|                            | 99 ** | 00 ** | 01 ** | 02 ** | 03 ** |
+----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| **Total EU exports to the  | **591 | **834 | **923 | **927 | **859 |
| world**                    | 327** | 737** | 166** | 475** | 281** |
+----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| **Total EU exports to the  | **15  | **22  | **25  | **29  | **25  |
| US**                       | 334** | 826** | 286** | 296** | 423** |
+----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| Total EU exports Canada    | 8585  | 11819 | 12950 | 16750 | 20757 |
+----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| Total EU exports Russia    | 9391  | 22261 | 28954 | 30010 | 24509 |
+----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
|                            |       |       |       |       |       |
+----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| **Total EU imports from    | **696 | **883 | **986 | **982 | **980 |
| the world**                | 345** | 838** | 384** | 066** | 788** |
+----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| Total EU imports from the  | 12672 | 17761 | 19498 | 23780 | 17880 |
| US                         |       |       |       |       |       |
+----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| Total EU imports from      | 14643 | 22013 | 32970 | 31339 | 30987 |
| Canada                     |       |       |       |       |       |
+----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| Total EU imports from      | 9956  | 12399 | 16360 | 17302 | 15252 |
| Russia                     |       |       |       |       |       |
+----------------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+

*Source: Global Trade Atlas*

Additional information on EU trade in Wild Fauna and Flora can be found
at: <http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/cites/home_en.htm>

**Visit our website:** our website
**[www.useu.be/agri/usda.html]{.underline}** provides a broad range of
useful information on EU import rules and food laws and allows easy
access to USEU reports, trade information and other practical
information. E-mail: AgUSEUBrussels@usda.gov

**Related reports from USEU Brussels:**

  ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------ ------------------
  **Report Number**                                            **Title**                            **Date Released**

  E34089                                                       Animal Welfare Legislation in the    11/16/04
                                                               EU - Update                          

  E23116                                                       EU to increase animal welfare during 6/20/2003
                                                               transport                            

  These reports can be accessed through our website                                                 
  [www.useu.be/agri](http://www.useu.be/agri) or through the                                        
  FAS website                                                                                       
  <http://www.fas.usda.gov/scriptsw/attacherep/default.asp>.                                        
  ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------ ------------------