EU animal welfare legislation “needs an update and uniform application in all member states”, agriculture MEPs have said.
The draft resolution on the implementation report on on-farm animal welfare rules was adopted this week by the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development.
The resolution addresses the implementation of EU legislation on the welfare of food-producing animals, namely directives concerning the protection of animals kept for farming purposes; on the protection of laying hens; chickens kept for meat production; calves; and pigs.
It stresses that the current EU legislation on the welfare of food-producing animals “is not consistently implemented across member states, lags behind the scientific advances and establishes specific minimum welfare standards only for a number of species”.
‘Future-proof animal welfare rules’
The resolution calls for “future-proof EU animal welfare rules that would be uniformly transposed in all member states”.
“It should be based on scientific data, impact assessments and a species by species approach,” the text says.
According to MEPs, farmers must be provided with “sufficient time, support and financing so that they can invest in better animal welfare”.
The update should “also take into account EU farmers’ income and competitiveness in the global agricultural market”.
MEPs welcome the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘End the Cage Age’ and urge to prohibit battery cages for laying hens.
However, MEPs seek a “species-based approach using clear definitions of a cage”.
“Special financial support to transition to alternative housing system for animals should be provided to breeders impacted by the new standards,” according to MEPs.
MEPs also advocate a voluntary EU animal labelling system covering all livestock farms, “in order to provide consumers with reliable labelling of animal products on welfare-related aspects of their entire production cycle”.
For the future, the “possibility of a mandatory EU labelling should be examined”.
The resolution on the implementation report on on-farm animal welfare now needs to be voted by the full house of the parliament, possibly during the December session.
‘We hear the calls from the rest of society’
Copa and Cogeca support most of the compromise amendments that were voted this week, starting with the recurrent call for science-based decisions on animal welfare and the preparation of impact assessments before the launch of new regulatory initiatives.
Reacting to the vote, Cogeca president Ramon Armengol said that European farmers “already have the most advanced animal welfare standards”.
“European farmers and agri-cooperatives agree to go further, and we hear the calls from the rest of society,” Armengol said.
“To achieve this goal, we need a clear alignment of means, tools, science, and trade policy.
“The report voted makes several common-sense proposals in this respect, without leaving anyone behind. We support this approach, and we hope that the European Parliament will consider the proposals voted in its plenary vote in December.”
Copa-Cogeca added that it welcomes the calls for “reciprocity in trade deals with third countries on animal welfare standards”.
“They must be ensured and encouraged when making and reviewing trade agreements with third countries.
“Animal origin products should only be allowed to enter the EU if it has been ascertained that the animals were housed and slaughtered in an equivalent manner to what is set in EU animal welfare legislative requirements.”