Document type: answer from the European Commission
Authors: question: Petras Auštrevičius. Answer: Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Parliament.
Question: In its answer to Written Question E-000126/2020 the Commission stated: ‘Directive 98/58/EC concerning the protection of animals kept for farming purposes does not prohibit the production of foie gras in the Union’.
The question mentioned the prohibition in Directive 98/58/EC of foie gras production by force-feeding (point 14 of the Annex), not prohibition in general. The Commission itself has stated in previous answers that foie gras can also be produced without force-feeding, a practice that is rightly considered a crime in most Member States.
The confusion between foie gras and force-feeding is one often used by the foie gras industry, but the Commission should not endorse the preferences of a single business, especially if it promotes an activity that can lead to arrest in many Member States.
- Can the Commission explain why a question on foie gras production by force-feeding was given an irrelevant answer that reflects the communication strategy of the foie gras industry?
- Can the Commission say whether it has changed its mind and now considers force-feeding compatible with point 14 of the Annex to Directive 98/58/EC?
- Does the Commission consider that the CoE Convention for the Protection of Animals kept for Farming Purposes is still beneficial for animal welfare in the EU?
Answer: The production of foie gras is regulated at EU level by Council Directive 98/58/EC on the protection of animals kept for farming purposes.
As mentioned in the reply to Question E-008436/2016, Member States are not under an obligation to report to the Commission on research on alternatives to force-feeding, nor does the Commission under the applicable legislation hold the task of regularly and systematically gathering such data.
The Commission considers that the European Convention for the Protection of Animals kept for Farming Purposes has undoubtedly contributed in the past to make progress and bring about positive change in this area in Europe. However, the standing committee of this Convention stopped its activities almost 10 years ago.
On 20 May 2020, the Commission adopted the Farm to Fork Strategy, where it envisages evaluating and revising the EU legislation on animal welfare. This evaluation will assess the extent to which the current legislative framework has fulfilled its initial objectives and the extent to which these objectives are still valid.
It will also provide the basis to consider future actions in the area of animal welfare and includes looking at marketing standards.
