Document type : news from Eurogroup for animals
Author: Eurogroup for Animals
Preview: A Positive List (a list of allowed species) for mammals has been introduced in the Netherlands, allowing just 30 species to be legally kept as pets in the country.
This move will prevent exotic mammals from being kept as pets in unsuitable conditions.
Over 300 mammal species were assessed for the list, making it clear that a large number of species commonly kept as companion animals are unsuited to life in captivity.
The list is expected to enter into force on 1 January 2024. The Dutch government will now work on the more detailed regulations regarding the practical implementation and enforcement of the list.
The list of permitted species can be found here.
The introduction of the list won't be retroactive, meaning that current owners of non-listed animal species to keep those animals until the end of their lives. [...]Eurogroup for Animals welcomes the news, and supports the Positive List mechanism as the most effective, concise, transparent, enforceable and economically feasible way of tackling the exotic pet trade. [...]In May, at the meeting of the Council of the European Union (Agriculture and Fisheries) a position paper was submitted by Cyprus and co-signed by Lithuania, Luxembourg and Malta, calling for the European Commission to explore the potential benefits of an EU wide positive list. The paper was supported by a vast majority of Member States, and demonstrates an understanding of the need to regulate the pet trade in a precautionary way across the EU.