As for us, we believe that it is just as important that judges, crown attorneys and special agents from the Canadian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals be empowered to impose penalties on those whom they find guilty of committing such offences.

We therefore feel that it is essential that judges, crown attorneys and special officers of the Canadian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals should be given the authority to charge and fine those who commit acts of violence against animals.

2. The approximation of laws shall extend to the following areas in particular: customs law, company law, laws on banking and other financial services, company accounts and taxes, intellectual property, protection of workers at the workplace, rules on competition, including any related issues and practices affecting trade, public procurement, protection of health and life of humans, animals and plants, the environment, consumer protection, indirect taxation, technical rules and standards, nuclear laws and regulations, transport and el ...[+++]ectronic communications.

The notion as recognised in the case law of the Court of Justice covers at least the following grounds: public policy, public security and public health, within the meaning of Articles 46 and 55 of the Treaty; the maintenance of order in society; social policy objectives; the protection of the recipients of services; consumer protection; the protection of workers, including the social protection of workers; animal welfare; the preservation of the financial balance of the social security system; the prevention of fraud; the pr ...[+++]evention of unfair competition; the protection of the environment and the urban environment, including town and country planning; the protection of creditors; safeguarding the sound administration of justice; road safety; the protection of intellectual property; cultural policy objectives, including safeguarding the freedom of expression of various elements, in particular social, cultural, religious and philosophical values of society; the need to ensure a high level of education, the maintenance of press diversity and the promotion of the national language; the preservation of national historical and artistic heritage; and veterinary policy.

The concept of ‘public policy’, as interpreted by the Court of Justice, covers the protection against a genuine and sufficiently serious threat affecting one of the fundamental interests of society and may include, in particular, issues relating to human dignity, the protection of minors and vulnerable adults and animal welfare.

The strategy proposes to fight illegal logging and timber trafficking, as well as trade in other illegally harvested forest products (e.g. game and bush-meat), by addressing the following areas for action: Developing transparent procedures as a basis for issuing concessions and utilisation licences; establishing effective control and penalty mechanisms (law enforcement); ensuring civil society participation in these processes; creating incentives in import countries for public and private procurement of independently certified timber and wood products from sustainable forest management; and assisting partner countries with their efforts to implement and further develop the CITES endangered species convention (particularly ...[+++]protection of the endangered species listed and inclusion of further species in Annex 3).