The right to a fair trial, recognised in the Union’s legal system by Article 47 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, does not preclude the fixing of a time-limit for bringing legal proceedings.

As the Spanish authorities acknowledged, until 2004 Pickman was in such a situation, as shown by the fact that it had negative own funds and increasing losses, whilst a mortgage over some of its assets taken out in favour of the company RUMASA had been foreclosed, with the result that it was almost certainly going to go out of business in the short term.

The Union should work to establish an internationally recognised system for reducing deforestation and increasing afforestation and reforestation, supporting the objective, within the UNFCCC, of developing financing mechanisms, taking into account existing arrangements, as part of an effective, efficient, equitable and coherent financial architecture within the international agreement on climate change to be reached in the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change (COP 15 and COP/MOP 5).

2. In the Hague Programme of 4-5 November 2004, the European Council acknowledged the need for the EU to contribute, in a spirit of shared responsibility to a more accessible, equitable and effective international protection system in partnership with third countries and to provide access to protection and durable solutions at the earliest possible stage. A distinction was drawn between the differing needs of countries in regions of transit and countries in regions of origin. Countries in regions of origin and transit will be encouraged in their efforts to strengthen their capacity for the protection of refugees. On countries and regions ...[+++] of origin, the European Council further invited the Commission to develop EU Regional Protection Programmes in partnership with the third countries concerned and in close consultation and cooperation with UNHCR. These programmes should build on experience gained in pilot protection programmes to be launched before the end of 2005. These programmes will incorporate a variety of relevant instruments, primarily focused on capacity building, and include a joint resettlement programme for those Member States which may be ready to participate in such a programme on a voluntary basis. With regard to countries of transit, the European Council emphasised the need for intensified cooperation and capacity building, both on the southern and eastern borders of the EU to enable those countries better to manage migration and to provide adequate protection for refugees.

* The Fairtrade Mark ( [http ...]

(56) Whereas the Third Conference of the Parties to the Biodiversity Convention, which took place in November 1996, noted in Decision III/17 that 'further work is required to help develop a common appreciation of the relationship between intellectual property rights and the relevant provisions of the TRIPs Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity, in particular on issues relating to technology transfer and conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of genetic resources, including the protection of knowledge, innovations and practices of indige ...[+++]nous and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity`,