Brussels, 26/11/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 26 November, the European Parliament called for the adoption of a new animal welfare strategy for the 2016-20 period (see EUROPE 11437).
The European Parliament approved by 542 votes in favour, to 73 against, with 23 abstentions, a joint resolution submitted by the EPP, S&D, ALDE and ECR groups. The Greens/EFA group, GUE/NGL and ELDD put forward a range of amendments calling for a more ambitious strategy but all of these were rejected during the plenary. The Greens/ EFA and GUE/NGL groups would like the European Commission to propose a “clear, comprehensive, updated and harmonised legislative framework”, which guarantees full application of the provisions in Article 13 of the Treaty, “in order to ensure a minimum of protection for animals in the Union”.
With the adoption of the joint resolution, the EP also makes an appeal for the Commission to immediately evaluate the current strategy and elaborate a new ambitious strategy for the protection and welfare of animals for the 2016-20 period and to “maintain a robust standardised framework on animal welfare throughout the member states”. The EP points out that animal welfare standards should not be downgraded due to administrative simplification. The Commission is requested to: demonstrate greater ambition by taking into account the reciprocity of animal welfare standards and by prioritising the latter as a non-commercial challenge in its trade policy and in its negotiations for international trade agreements; - promote animal welfare in third countries by demanding equivalent standards for animals and imported products, together with strict controls.
MEPs would also like the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to dispose of sufficient funds, “To prevent the relocation of production to countries and continents with lower animal welfare standards”. The EP points out that producers have been saturated with administrative obligations and that they should ensure that this European strategy does not weigh down any more on them. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)