Subject: A REVISED AND MODERN GERMAN FEDERAL HUNTING LAW IS ESSENTIAL TO THE INTEGRITY OF NATURE, HABITAT AND
ANIMAL PROTECTION IN EUROPE
by electronic mail
Dear Minister Künast,
Dear Party Chairpersons Bütikofer
and Müntefering,
Dear Committee Chairperson
Däubler-Gmelin
The pledge in the coalition
policy agreement between the Green Party and the Social Democrats, to revise the outdated Federal Hunting Law and replace
it with a modern legal instrument to give nature and animals better and more comprehensive protection, was welcomed by conservationists,
ecologists and ordinary nature lovers in Europe and beyond. The revision was long overdue and the existing law was, and
still is, in conflict with several European Union regulations and Germanys status as signatory of various important international
agreements.
The news that progress towards
presentation of the new law to parliament has become bogged down indefinitely is discouraging. Even more alarming is the news
from the Bundesstaatskommission that abolition of the hunting law at federal level is being considered, with responsibility
to be delegated to Laender governments.
This would put the clock
back several decades for nature protection in Germany and would send the wrong signal to the rest of Europe, especially to
those nations with strong hunting traditions and lobbies and the new countries about to accede to the European Union. It would
be scandalous if a coalition of Social Democrats and Greens were to hand the hunters in Germany, and elsewhere in Europe,
victory on a plate; and a slap in the face for all those who have fought hard over the past decades to give our remaining
European flora, fauna and their habitats the legal protection that they so urgently require.
As policy makers and leaders
in the present ruling coalition government we hereby appeal to you to use the powers and influence of your offices and appointments
to ensure that nature and animal protection in Germany and Europe is improved and not weakened. Your action or inaction can
and will have a major impact on the future of our common European natural resources, in particular for generations to come.
In the conviction that you
will fulfil your election pledges, and will act wisely, positively and rapidly to pass a revised Federal Hunting Law and will
quash any attempt to delegate responsibility to the Laender governments, we remain,
yours sincerely,
(Name, address and country)
Renate Kuenast M.P. (Green Party)
Dear Minister Kuenast,
We urge you
to give high priority to the introduction of the new version of the outdated Federal Hunting Law, as incorporated in the SPD/Green
Party coalition agreement, and give nature and animal protection a firmer basis in Germany. We appeal to you to use the influence
of your office to retain responsibility for laws on hunting at federal level and not, as currently discussed in the Bundesstaatskommission,
delegate responsibility in this matter exclusively to the Land governments.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Franz Muentefering
M.P. (Party Chairperson, Social Democrat Party)
Dear Mr Muentefering,
As you well know the revision of the Federal Hunting Law was incorporated
in the coalition policy contract between the Social Democratic Party and the Greens. The outdated law takes no account of
modern ecological science and improvements in animal protection and indeed infringes several European Union regulations.
In the Bundesstaatskommission,
chaired by Minister President Stoiber of Bavaria and yourself, a discussion has developed on where the responsibility for
regulation and control of hunting should lie. Should this responsibility pass exclusively into the remit of the Laender it
is hard to see how international nature protection regulations can be incorporated into individual Laender laws without enormous
problems.
We therefore
urge you most strongly to use your influence in the Bundesstaatskommission for the retention of a Federal Hunting law and
convince your parliamentary party to support the revised law.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Herta
Daeubler-Gmelin M.P. (Social Democrat Party)
Dear Ms. Daeubler-Gmelin,
The Federal
Hunting Law is outdated and, in many cases, is in direct violation of international agreements. As you well know, the revision
of this law was therefore incorporated in the coalition policy agreement between the Green Party and the SPD. The progress
of a new draft law has been bogged down for some time and, in the framework of the Bundesstaatskommission, the abolition of
the law has even been discussed.
As chairperson
of the parliamentary committee for Consumer Affairs, Nutrition and Agriculture we urge you to use your influence to ensure
the a revision of the Federal Hunting Law be given proper priority by Parliament and your party. Additionally we request that
you do all in your power to ensure that the responsibility for the regulation of hunting remains a federal responsibility,
and attempts to delegate responsibility to the Laender be resisted
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Reinhard Buetikofer (Party Chairperson, Green Party)
Dear Party Chairman,
Progress on
revision of the Federal Hunting Law, incorporated in the coalition policy agreement between the Green Party and the SPD is
at present bogged down. The urgently needed modernisation of the outdated hunting regulations has become a punch bag for differing
interest groups and it is now even being suggested that the Federal Hunting Law should be abolished and the exclusive responsibility
for control of hunting should be handed over to individual Laender.
We urge you
to encourage your Party members to lobby for the presentation to parliament of
a new draft Federal Hunting Law, and ensure that control of hunting remains a federal responsibility.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
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