On Tuesday 24 January, the European Commission confirmed that an EU expert group on animal welfare would be created (see EUROPE 11668).
The announcement formalises the promise made to put in place a platform on animal welfare, as requested by several European agriculture ministers of Health and Food Safety Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis.
In the course of the next few weeks, the Commission will publish the call for applications for the selection of the members of the platform which will gather a maximum of 75 participants. The first meeting of the Platform will be held during the Maltese Presidency, around mid-May.
“The aim of the platform will be to encourage dialogue between different stakeholders on animal welfare issues. It should focus on better application of EU legislation on animal welfare, the promotion of the very high animal welfare standards and the use of the platform as a facilitator for the development and use of voluntary commitments by business operators”, Andriukaitis said.
The intention is not to bring forward new legislation on animal welfare, even though some member states are calling for it. The Scandinavian countries have called for discussion within the new platform on castration of piglets, trimming the beaks of poultry, the removal of pigs’ tails and transporting animals over long distances. Other countries, including Ireland and Germany, have highlighted the sensitive issue of transport times for animals (see EUROPE 11552).
The platform on animal welfare will bring together all relevant players in animal welfare: business and professional organisations, organisations from civil society, independent experts from academic and research institutes, EU and European Economic Area member states, the European Food Safety Authorities and relevant international intergovernmental organisations, such as the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
The Commission held a first stakeholders’ dialogue on animal welfare on 23-24 February 2016 with all main stakeholders and member states. There was broad consensus that an enhanced stakeholder dialogue would bring added value at EU level, the Commission notes. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)