Brussels, 12/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - In Brussels on 12 October, the European Parliament called for stricter rules for the protection of livestock, while acknowledging that high standards led to additional costs for farmers.
Parliament, adopting the report by Elisabeth Jeggle (EPP-ED, Germany) on the European Commission's action plan (see EUROPE 9116) by 566 votes to 29, with 15 abstentions, suggested stricter protection and welfare rules for dairy cattle, adult cattle, farmed fish, pigs for fattening and turkeys. It called for piglets to be castrated, under anaesthetic, from seven days old. MEPs backed the development of electronic identification systems for animals and labelling of products inline with EU animal protection standards. In addition, the Commission was called on to propose a total ban on the import of “cruelty products” from third countries and to make the ban on importing wild birds into the EU permanent. The EP also called for dog and cock fighting to be ended.
So as not to penalise European producers against their counterparts in third countries, the Commission was called on to: - conduct a careful analysis of the costs of the new proposals and their effect on the international competitiveness of the sectors involved; - ensure that compensation payments for losses incurred are made to Community producers whose production costs rise as a result of their implementing animal welfare measures. The EP acknowledged that, in the context of the planned general liberalisation of agricultural market access conditions, the introduction of new standards higher than those of the WTO could lead to a loss of competitiveness in Community production. (lc)