EU Law Says the EU Countries Must Vote to Protect Whales and Uphold the IWC Ban on Commercial Whaling

LONDON, June 10, 2010 - On Friday the 11th June, Environmental Ministers of EU-Member States meet
to discuss whether they can finally reach a common position over a highly
controversial proposal by the Chair of the International Whaling Commission
(IWC) which will be discussed and decided upon at the annual IWC Meeting that
takes place between the 21st and 25th of June in Agadir, Morocco. The IWC
Chairman's proposal could have the effect of legitimising commercial whaling
for a ten-year period as well as allowing whaling in the Antarctic whale
sanctuary.

WDCS, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, and ClientEarth, an
expert organisation of activist lawyers, today remind Member States of the
European Union that EU law requires them to reject all attempts to see a
resumption of commercial whaling. The two groups make this call in response
to the ongoing attempts by Denmark and Sweden to force the EU to either
support the proposal or abstain on any vote as an EU block at the forthcoming
IWC meeting.

If the EU Member States are asked to abstain, this could pave the way for
the adoption of the IWC Chairman's proposal.

The analyses provided by WDCS and ClientEarth demonstrates that, should
the IWC Chairman's Proposed Consensus Decision ("the deal") be accepted,
there is a significant risk of EU Member States' national laws coming into
conflict with EU law on the protection of whales.

Sandy Luk, marine protection lawyer at ClientEarth, states, 'The existing
common position adopted by EU member states grants whales protection. What's
more, fundamental principles of EU environmental law support continued
protection of these charismatic mammals. The proposal put forward by the
whaling commission chair could strip that protection away. We need member
states to take a firm stand on this issue, legally they are obliged to
support existing EU law and they must stand firm against pressure to avoid
undermining the existing EU legal framework protecting whales.'

Chris Butler-Stroud, CEO of WDCS, reminds governments that 'The people of
Europe will accept nothing less of their Governments but that they will fight
for the continuation of the current ban on commercial whaling.' He continues
'No EU country should even be contemplating accepting proposals that would
see any endorsement of commercial whaling - it's not only ethically
unacceptable, it's now clear to countries that its also legally incompatible
with European law and we are currently looking into all legal options to
defend the EU's high standards of protection for whales.

www.clientearth.org

www.wdcs.org

For further information please contact:

ClientEarth, Sandy Luk, T . +44-(0)20-7749-5977, e-mail:
sluk@clientearth.org

WDCS, Chris Butler-Stroud, T. +44-7834-498-277, E-Mail: Ceo@wdcs.org

For further information please contact: ClientEarth, Sandy Luk, T . +44-(0)20-7749-5977, e-mail: sluk at clientearth.org. WDCS, Chris Butler-Stroud, T. +44-7834-498-277, E-Mail: Ceo at wdcs.org