Doc. 9385

18 March 2002

Campaign against trafficking of protected birds and other animals within the framework of the Council of Europe

Written declaration no 333

This written declaration commits only the members who have signed it

In the last few months there have been several heavy cases in many of the member states of the Council of Europe connected to the shooting and smuggling of protected birds and other protected animals.

      One of the most serious cases occurred in Hungary and was committed by Italian hunters on 5 November 2001, when the Hungarian Customs Authority found 11.686 protected birds killed of 38 different species. Among these dead bodies there were animals protected by international conventions aimed to save species near to extinction. The value of the loss caused by this single case was over 1 million Euro.

      The perpetrators have broken several legal norms, not only the Hungarian Penal Code and other Hungarian laws, but also the Washington Convention (CITIES) and the Bern Convention.

      As the number of similar cases has increased significantly over the last few years, and the profits realised by the perpetrators are higher than the degree of the penalties, and also because the crossborder nature of these acts makes it impossible to carry out the tasks of surveillance for national governments and single countries, the undersigned, members of the Assembly, consider that it is necessary to prepare a report and additional recommendations on this subject to stop the senseless damage.

Signed : (see overleaf)

Herczog, Hungary, SOC

Bársony, Hungary, SOC

Davis, United Kingdom, SOC

Dobelis, Latvia, EDG

Durrieu, France, SOC

Ferić-Vac, Croatia, SOC

Glesener, Luxembourg, EPP

Gross, Switzerland, SOC

Hancock, United Kingdom, LDR

Hegyi, Hungary, SOC

Holovaty, Ukraine, LDR

Jurgens, Netherlands, SOC

Kautto, Finland, SOC

Kostytsky, Ukraine, EPP

Neguta, Moldova, EDG

Olteanu, Romania, SOC

Pollozhani, “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, EDG

Ringstad, Norway, LDR

Rogozin, Russia, EDG

Shakhtakhtinskaya, Azerbaijan, EDG

Slutsky, Russia, SOC

Tevdoradze, Georgia, EDG

van den Brande, Belgium, EPP1

__________________________

TOTAL = 23

1        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group