International

2010 is the UN Year of Biodiversity, declared to be such because the wealth of species of to be found in nature is under pressure. Take the polar bear population. There are still some 25,000 left, but by 2050 their numbers will have fallen by two-thirds. Why? Not because it is too warm or too cold for them, but because there are people who hunt them for their pelts, their teeth and their claws. The EU has issued a stiff call for opposition to this: as a MEP I participated in this call with complete conviction, because this sort of hunting is senseless, cruel and unworthy of the dignity either of the animal or of humanity.

On 23rd February the European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies (ENCOD) will hold a public hearing in the European Parliament. This seems a desperate attempt from the organisations affiliated to ENCOD to draw attention to the need for a more liberal drugs policy in the EU member states. I heartily support this initiative and will make that clear in my contribution to the hearing. It's high time that the European Commission stopped mindlessly following the hard-liners and instead began for once to listen to what people who have daily contact with drug users have to say.