Good news for biodiversity: the EU moves to phase out lead ammunition
-
Advocacy
-
Biodiversity - Flyways
Lead is a toxic substance that poses serious risks to birds and other wildlife, as well as to people and pets. Progress towards restrictions on sales and use of lead are essential to pave the way towards a lead-free Europe. And things are moving positively: earlier this summer, the European Parliament’s Environment Committee voted in favour of restricting lead in fishing weights, while EU representatives responsible for the file approved the European Commission’s proposal to restrict lead ammunition.
The sustained efforts of environmental, animal welfare and public health organisations, backed by scientific evidence and citizen support reflected through the 60 000+ signatures gathered under the #BanLeadNow petition played a key role in pushing these files ahead.
This autumn, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will have both the opportunity and responsibility to honor citizens’ voices concerned about their environment, wildlife and health. Across the EU, 7 out of 10 citizens support the prohibition of lead ammunition for hunting and sports shooting as soon as possible. The time is now for MEPs to halt the hazardous dispersion of thousands of tonnes of toxic lead in the environment every year.
There are no safe levels of lead, neither for wildlife nor for humans. Lead poisoning remains a preventable threat to waterbirds, especially in wetlands where lost tackle or lead ammunition affects more than one million birds each year. Some European countries, such as Denmark and the United Kingdom, have already taken the leap towards a safer future, and adopted restrictions on lead shots and bullets.
A road ahead still uncertain
As the proposals aiming to restrict lead (in recreational fishing tackle and in ammunition) now move further along the EU decision-making process, scientific and civil society organisations are working hard to ensure lawmakers can access the best available scientific evidence to inform their votes.
As a result of this advocacy, the European Parliament rejected, early July, an objection to the proposal to ban lead in fishing tackle trade. This vote confirmed that scientific evidence and common sense can still win over personal political endeavors. Yet, a loophole persists: the use of lead in fishing tackle is not included in the current proposal, which focuses on the sale of leaded fishing tackle. However, this gap can still be closed at national level: EU Member States can adopt additional rules to enhance the coherence of the regulatory framework and ease the implementation and enforcement of this ban. It will thus be up to Member States to take the extra step needed towards a lead-free environment.
We join our member the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), who has been working on phasing out lead in the environment for decades along with BirdLife International and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), in welcoming these positive developments.
The proposal to ban lead in gunshot ammunition will soon be at the center of debates in the European Parliament’s Environment committee and plenary vote. The message remains the same: there is no safe level of lead exposure, and now is the time to engage on a regulatory pathway towards toxic-free leisure activities, for the benefit of the environment, wildlife and nature enthusiasts. Each step counts; each vote matters. Ban Lead Now.