Arctic Council snubs EU as observer over seal dispute

The Arctic Council on Wednesday snubbed the EU, China, Italy and South Korea in their bid to become permanent observers on the council due to a row between Canada and the EU over the seal hunt.In a final declaration issued after the Arctic Council's ministerial meeting in the northern Norwegian town of Tromsoe, the eight members of the body "decided to continue discussing the role of observers in the Arctic Council."The seal hunt, an issue of particular importance to Canada, weighed heavily in the talks, members of several delegations said.The 27 member states of the European Union are preparing to ban products derived from the commercial seal hunt, especially furs, to protest against hunting methods which they consider cruel.The European Parliament is expected to vote on the ban in early May."Some European institutions have shown a lack of understanding with respect to the fundamental interests of Arctic people and states," Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon told delegates Wednesday."I very much regret, therefore, that the European Parliament and Council (of European ministers) are currently considering an EU-wide ban on trade in seal products," he said."It is particularly disappointing that such a ban is being pursued despite clear evidence that the hunting of seals in Canada is sustainable, humane and well managed," he said.The Arctic Council is the only regional cooperation body in the Arctic, founded in 1996 and made up of eight members: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States.Britain, France, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain are permanent observers, while China, Italy, the EU and South Korea are ad hoc observers, meaning their presence at each meeting must be approved by member states.The next council meeting is due in 2011 in Denmark.Canada and Norway have threatened to submit complaints to the World Trade Organisation if the EU bans the import of seal-related products."Norway shares that view with Canada. But for Norway, that's yet another reason to invite the observers in," Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said.Canada is the biggest seal-hunting country with a quota of 338,000 this year. Norway has authorised the killing of 47,000 adult seals in 2009.Greenland, Iceland, Namibia, Russia and the United States also hunt seals.