Three MEPs from the Patriots for Europe (PfE) group have asked the European Commission whether it will raise the issue of the Faroe Islands' annual grindadráp — the traditional drive hunt of pilot whales and dolphins — during the upcoming EU-Faroe Islands annual consultation. In a written parliamentary question dated 30 June 2026, MEPs Sebastian Kruis, Ton Diepeveen and Auke Zijlstra demand concrete objectives for ending the hunts, question their compatibility with EU marine biodiversity goals, and suggest possible suspension of cooperation if no progress is made.
The grindadráp, which occurs each summer, involves driving pods of whales and dolphins into shallow bays where they are killed. The MEPs note that large numbers of animals, including juveniles and pregnant females, are slaughtered, raising serious concerns about marine biodiversity and animal welfare. The annual consultation, held under the Memorandum of Understanding on Enhanced Cooperation between the EU and the Faroe Islands, covers fisheries, trade, marine affairs and broader bilateral cooperation.
The question contains three concrete asks. First, the MEPs want to know whether the Commission will raise the grindadráp during the consultations and, if so, what specific objectives it will pursue. Second, they ask whether the Commission considers the continuation of the hunts compatible with the EU's objectives on marine biodiversity, sustainable fisheries and responsible ocean governance. Third, they ask whether the Commission would consider suspending or conditioning the further deepening of EU-Faroe Islands cooperation — including in fisheries, trade and maritime cooperation — if the Faroe Islands refuse to make meaningful progress toward ending the hunts.
The question reflects a push by the MEPs to leverage the EU's partnership with the Faroe Islands to pressure the territory to end the hunts. The Commission typically has six weeks to respond; its answer will signal whether it is willing to use trade and cooperation ties as leverage on animal welfare and biodiversity issues. The Faroe Islands, a self-governing territory of Denmark, is not an EU member but has a bilateral fisheries agreement and cooperation framework with the bloc.