(BRUSSELS) - The European Commission is considering action against Canada over the "inhumane" slaughter of seals, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.

EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas "is looking into the matter of the inhumane killing of seals", his spokeswoman told reporters in Brussels.

"We are preparing a text to be presented in the next few months to address this issue," she said, without going into detail about the measures that might be involved.

Canada set earlier this month a limit for its annual harvest of 275,000 harp seals and announced new rules to make the slaughter less cruel. The hunt usually kicks off in late March or April in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence.

The European Union has been weighing a ban on seal imports that could devastate the industry, following the lead of Belgium and the Netherlands, although new markets have opened up in recent years in China and Russia.

British member of the European Parliament, Neil Parish, called for immediate EU action.

"As the culling season gets underway, the time has come for the commission to take action," the Conservative lawmaker said in a statement.

"Many countries in Europe and around the world have introduced or are considering a ban on these imports, but I believe it would require the entire EU to implement a single ban to ensure the demand for seal skins dries up."

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