Source: European Parliament
The fitness check[1] of the EU legislation on trade in seal products is ongoing. The public consultation and call for evidence are only two elements of the fitness check to collect evidence, and they do not determine the final results. Additional evidence is collected through targeted consultations of stakeholders, a literature review and desk research.
The questions in the public consultation were drafted to obtain a precise and holistic overview of the perception of the EU seal regime nowadays without prejudging the outcome of the consultation.
The stakeholders identified for consultation throughout the fitness check include the Member States’ competent authorities, the recognised bodies in Canada and Greenland, public authorities in Norway, individual companies or trade federations, associations and unions, individual fishermen and seal hunters, environmental, conservation and animal welfare non-governmental organisations, academia/research institutions, and concerned members of the public from the EU and outside.
For the analysis of the results of the call for evidence, a dedicated software detected responses that contained full sentences with identical wording.
The 11 842 replies which were identified as campaigns or coordinated replies were not rejected but analysed separately from the 2 162 unique contributions.
The fitness check findings will inform the Commission as to whether a modification to the current legal framework would be needed.
- [1] https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14031-Trade-in-seal-products-fitness-check-of-EU-rules_en