The EU Commission has formally issued a statement in response to the over 1.1 million supporters backing the Stop Finning European Citizen Initiative (ECI). The Commission unveiled its plan to initiate an in-depth impact assessment of the potential effects of a shark fin ban within its borders, launching before the end of 2023. The plan includes a proposal to increase industry transparency measures and examines the opportunity to take legislative action on banning the trade of fins in the EU.
Although the trade remains legal, Only One and its partners see this as a step in the right direction. Legislation can be a slow process, with the UK finally implementing a fin ban last week following years of campaigning. Stay tuned as we continue to campaign for a permanent shark fin ban in the EU.
The full response can be seen here.