23/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - In a press release published after the 20 February Agriculture Council (see EUROPE 9136), the Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations of the EU (COPA) and the General Confederation of EU Agriculture Cooperatives (COGECA) explain that they want farm animal welfare rules to be set at EU level in the light of 'objective and scientific criteria'. They express concern at the additional production costs of animal welfare legislation, which can make the EU agri-food industry lose competitiveness compared with imported products. They comment that European farmers and farmers cooperatives are concerned about the overall coherence of the Commission's suggested action, with the big cut in customs tariffs for farm products that fails to take into account rising costs of producing the products in question arising from animal welfare legislation. COPA and COGECA are calling for the European Commission's animal welfare proposals to be accompanied with an economic impact study and 'concrete measures' to eliminate competition distortions suffered by EU farming. They also want 'concrete results' on animal welfare at international level at the World Trade Organisation.