PlanetArk 21 Dec 07;
BRUSSELS - The European Union's executive adopted proposals on Thursday to help the 27-nation bloc speak with one voice when it comes to protecting whales.
The species is already safeguarded in European waters but in all international waters. "One cause of this situation is the absence of a unified European Union position at the International Whaling Commission, which weakens the EU action and deprives it of possible leverage," the European Commission said in a statement.
It said the proposals would enable the bloc's 27 member states to agree a common stance ahead of IWC meetings -- the next one is in June 2008.
A common position would be based on support for the current moratorium on commercial whaling, the setting up of whale sanctuaries and encouraging the use of non-lethal methods to collect scientific data.
EU neighbours Norway and Iceland are the only nations to allow "commercial" whale hunts despite a two-decade moratorium on whaling by the International Whaling Commission.
By the end of August Norwegian whalers caught just over half their annual quota of 1,052 minke whales.
Japan catches hundreds of minke whales but says this is for scientific purposes. (Reporting by Huw Jones; Editing by Alison Williams)
