UK sued by European Commission for failing to protect porpoises News
UK sued by European Commission for failing to protect porpoises

[JURIST] The European Commission on Thursday announced [press release] that it has sued the United Kingdom (UK) for failure to protect harbor porpoises as ordered by the European Union‘s (EU) [official websites] Habitats Directive [text]. With the species population dwindling as a byproduct of mass fishing, the Commission awarded harbor porpoises an “unfavorable” designation. This designation required the UK to create a conservation plan for the marine mammal, including protected areas, but the nation has failed to do so. The Commission will now takes its conservation efforts to the European Court of Justice and seek an order mandating the development of protected areas.

The European Commission’s lawsuit brings into focus two areas of recent contention. The first involves legal efforts to protect wildlife and the sea, such as the March 2014 determination [JURIST report] by the International Court of Justice that Japan must halt its annual whaling program as it was not conducted for scientific purposes. Japan subsequently violated [JURIST report] the order, and in September 2014 announced that it would continue its annual whaling expedition, as an international judicial decision is not binding on an autonomous nation. The other area of legal interest is the UK’s relationship with the European Union, as a majority of British citizens voted to leave [JURIST report] the EU in June. However, little progress has been made on Britain’s departure, as last month UK Prime Minister Theresa May denied [JURIST report] EU President Donald Tusk’s report that May intends to begin Article 50 proceedings by February. Article 50 is the portion of the EU Constitution governing procedures for nations seeking to leave the Union, and is the next step in UK’s withdrawal.