Word: parliament
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...could the cute and fluffy creature cause so much trouble? On Tuesday, the day before the summit, the European Parliament passed a vote in Strasbourg to ban imports of seal products into the European Union - mainly from Canada. MEPs voted by a massive 550 to 49 to ban seal products - from soft pelts to Omega-3 health supplements made from seal oil - in time for the next commercial seal hunt season, in Spring 2010. (See pictures of life beneath Antarctic...
...also just in time for the European elections next month. The Parliament effectively closes down Friday as campaigning begins across the E.U.'s 27 member states. Unlike seals, who have permanent residence on any list of the cutest things in the world, MEPs suffer from an image problem: the public views them as ineffectual and anonymous, and turnout at the upcoming elections is expected to be a record low. By standing up for beautiful baby seals - and backing a cause championed by the likes of Paul McCartney and Pamela Anderson - MEPs perhaps thought they could strike a chord with jaded...
...This law is a victory for people power," said British Labour MEP Arlene McCarthy, who helped steer the ban through the Parliament, in a statement. "The vast majority of people across the U.K. and Europe are horrified by the cruel clubbing to death of seals...
...vote also earned praise from animal welfare groups, who say that seals are sometimes skinned while still conscious. "The Parliament has hammered the final nail in the coffin of the sealing industry's market in the E.U.," said Lesley O'Donnell, from the International Fund for Animal Welfare. "The decision will save millions of seals from a horrible fate," added Humane Society International director Mark Glover...
...with those parties barred from running in the last election, this is the first time in modern history that there are no pro-ETA groups in parliament. That fact, coupled with the knowledge that ETA is at what is widely considered to be its weakest point in history, may enable López to capitalize on new talk of a negotiated peace. "Sooner or later, we're going to achieve what all of us - nationalist or non-nationalist - want, which is that things calm down in the Basque Country," says Landaburu, himself a victim of ETA's terrorism. "Maybe this...