Humane trapping standards

Overview

The EU is committed to the highest animal welfare standards. To ensure that hunting or trapping methods are as humane as possible, both within Europe and internationally, the EU has adopted legislation and concluded an international agreement.

Objectives

The aim of humane trapping standards is to ensure a sufficient welfare level for trapped animals and to further improve this welfare. The EU regulation and the international agreement were inspired by the desire to agree on international humane trapping standards and to avoid trade disputes with international fur exporters.

Law

Leghold Trap Regulation ((EEC) No 3254/91) prohibits the use of leghold traps within the EU and the import of goods and products made from animal species originating from countries using leghold traps or other trapping methods that do not meet international humane trapping standards.

Commission Decision (98/596/EC)

This Decision allows the import of furs into the EU from countries that prohibit the use of leghold traps, or from countries where the trapping methods used for the listed species meet internationally agreed humane trapping standards. This document outlines a list of countries from which specific animal pelts and manufactured goods can be accepted, provided they are accompanied through the EU customs by a certificate issued and signed by a competent authority in these countries.

The model for the certificate can be found as an Annex to Commission Regulation (EC) No 35/97 and a list of Competent Authorities in Canada, Jordan, the Russian Federation and Turkey is available here (this list will be complemented when new information is provided).

Implementation

EU Member States designate the competent authorities to implement humane trapping EU legislation and international agreements.

In 1997, the EU concluded an Agreement with Canada and the Russian Federation on international humane trapping standards that was approved on 26 January 1998. The EU ratified the Agreement in 1998, followed by the Government of Canada in 1999 and the Russian Federation in 2008. The Agreement entered into force in July 2008.

The EU concluded a similar agreement on 13 July 1998 in the form of an Agreed Minute with the United States. As a result, the EU, Canada, the Russian Federation and the United States are committed to implementing the obligations arising from this agreement in accordance with their internal procedures. This includes promoting research to evaluate and improve the welfare of trapped animals, establishing appropriate processes for testing and certifying trapping methods and prohibiting the use of non-certified traps. In the EU, these responsibilities are conferred to Member States.

In July 2004, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a Directive on humane trapping standards for certain animal species to harmonise the commitments and obligations arising from these international engagements in the EU. However, this proposal was rejected by the European Parliament during the first parliamentary reading. On 2 June 2012, the European Commission withdrew its proposal with legal effect. Despite the withdrawal, the Commission fully commits to continued engagement on humane trapping standards.

Reports

This final report - study on trapping describes the state of the art in research, science and application of humane trapping standards referred to in the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards.