Diana's report on the trade in seal products

In December 2008 Diana was appointed as the MEP responsible for guiding the proposed EU ban on the trade in seal products through the European Parliament. As part of her role of "rapporteur", Diana drafted the report of the European Parliament's Committee on the Internal Market & Consumer Protection.

This draft report was presented to the Committee on 21 January 2009, when a hearing was also held with experts. Following the Committee vote in March, negotiations with the Czech Presidency achieved a first reading agreement with Member States. This was adopted by the European Parliament on 5th May 2009, with 550 MEPs voting in favour, 49 against, and 41 abstentions.

The final legislative report responds to widespread concern from European citizens over commercial seal hunting. It sets out strict conditions for the placing on the market of seal products in the UK, whereby seal products may only be sold if sourced through hunts traditionally conducted by Inuits and other indigenous communities, or on a non-commercial basis for products sourced from hunts conducted with the sole purpose of the sustainable management of marine resources.

The full text of the final legislative report can be found in the links below.

Watch Diana speak on her report in Strasbourg, 4th May 2009

Links to documents

• Read the final legislative report, adopted by the European Parliament on 5th May 2009.

• The European Commission's proposed ban on the trade in seal products (23/07/08).

• Diana's draft report on the trade in seal products (07/01/09).

• Legislative footprint.