On
1 October the Council adopted a regulation that brings the EU ban on trade
in seal products into compliance with World Trade Organisation (WTO)
rules.
Canada and Norway challenged the EU ban, in place since
2009, before the WTO. The WTO ruling from June 2014 upheld the EU
ban on trade in seal products, but found that two
exceptions granted were problematic, arguing they could have
discriminatory effects. The new regulation addresses these
concerns by eliminating one of these exceptions and setting
clearer conditions for the other. |