NGOs Urge the EU Parliament to Vote Down Report on on-farm Animal Welfare
FOUR PAWS and a cohort of leading animal welfare organisations point out that the report is “not fit for purpose” and urge MEPs in an open letter to vote down the report and instead adopt the opinion provided by the ENVI Committee
Vienna/Strasbourg, 10 February 2022 - Key animal welfare groups have signed an Open Letter asking MEPs to vote down the European Parliament report on on-farm animal welfare, stating that it is “not fit for purpose”.
The debate and vote is due to take place next week starting on Monday 14th February in the European Parliament Plenary session in Strasbourg.
The widely anticipated reported, written by Jérémy Decerle MEP (Renew), will be a key milestone in the EU´s parliamentary cycle. The implementation report will be of major relevance as it will define the European Parliament’s position on the performance of the current farm animal welfare related legislation and will feed in the Commission’s ongoing ‘Fitness Check’ of the legislation.
Sultana adds, “The report also contradicts texts that were previously adopted by the European parliament. Take for example something fairly obvious, not only does it promote the production of foie gras as an animal friendly practice, but it also states that a tightening of rules is not necessary and claims that measures to increase animal welfare can be counterproductive to sustainability efforts. All of these statements are in contradiction to of the Farm To Fork Own Initiative report and other previously adopted texts on animal welfare, such as the Motion for Resolution on ´End the Cage Age’.”
Many of the recommendations made in the report however focus on economics and include issues such as labelling which are outside the scope of the report.
Sultana, ended by saying, “This report fails to address any of the pressing animal welfare issues and instead focuses on topics outside its scope such as labelling and the economic interests of farmers. We would have expected the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development to address the countless problems connected to animal husbandry and bring forward suggestions for change in these areas. Since this is not done sufficiently in this report, we urge MEPs to vote against the entire report if an adoption of the ENVI Opinion is not possible.”
Open Letter on the Decerle Report
NGOs Urge the EU Parliament to Vote Down Report on on-farm Animal Welfare
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FOUR PAWS is the global animal welfare organisation for animals under direct human influence, which reveals suffering, rescues animals in need and protects them. Founded in 1988 in Vienna by Heli Dungler and friends, the organisation advocates for a world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy and understanding. The sustainable campaigns and projects of FOUR PAWS focus on companion animals including stray dogs and cats, farm animals and wild animals – such as bears, big cats and orangutans – kept in inappropriate conditions as well as in disaster and conflict zones. With offices in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Kosovo, the Netherlands, Switzerland, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, the UK, the USA and Vietnam as well as sanctuaries for rescued animals in eleven countries, FOUR PAWS provides rapid help and long-term solutions. www.four-paws.org