15/11/2016 (Agence Europe) – European Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis said at the Agriculture Council on Monday 14 November that the EU animal welfare platform should be in place by mid-May of next year. The role of the platform will be to facilitate the exchange of good practice among countries, stakeholders and civil society with a view to making application of the legislation more uniform. The commissioner suggested that the platform might help companies develop voluntary initiatives. The Irish minister expressed the view that the work of the platform should not lead to the adoption of any new legislation. At the same meeting, Sweden, supported by Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands, called for the provisions of Regulation 1/2005 on animal welfare during transport to be tightened. The Czech Republic, France, Hungary and Ireland took the view that, on the contrary, it would be better to focus on implementing current legislation. (LC)