Document type: news item from CIWF France
Author: CIWF France
Preview: On December 6, 2022, in advance of the AGRIFISH Council meeting, CIWF France, the Fondation Droit Animal Ethique et Sciences, the Fondation Brigitte Bardot and Quatre Pattes sent an open letter to the French Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, Mr. Marc Fesneau.
Open letter
Mr. Marc Fesneau Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty
In Paris, on December 6, 2022
Dear Minister,
We are contacting you In advance of the AGRIFISH Council meeting on December 12 on behalf of our respective animal protection organizations with regard to the agenda item on the review of European legislation on animal protection (Fitness Check), in order to ask you to advocate strongly for an ambitious and comprehensive review of the legislation on animal welfare.
The concern for animal protection issues shown by citizens in France is among the greatest in Europe. The most recent Eurobarometer, in 2016, showed that 98% of French people (compared with 94% of Europeans) already believed it to be important to protect farm animal welfare and that 88% (compared with 82% of Europeans) believed that farm animal welfare should be better protected than is currently the case.
We urge you to represent the views of our citizens. Current EU animal welfare legislation is outdated and requires revision, as recommended by the European Commission's quality review of EU legislation on animal welfare, published last October (1). Several animal species entirely lack adequate legislative protection. What is more, the legislative review offers the opportunity to ensure the rapid implementation of the European Citizens' Initiative " End the Cage Age ".
The ambitious revisions needed would not only better protect animals, they would also allow European producers to benefit from improvements to their production systems while ensuring a level playing field. Such a transition should go hand in hand with reciprocity in the application of the new legislation on animal welfare to all imports of animal products.
These are turbulent times, with an uncertain economic outlook that is subject to change. Against this backdrop, we must now lay the policy foundations for a healthier and more sustainable human-animal relationship. This cannot be achieved without significant improvements in animal welfare, such as those to which the European Commission commits itself in the Farm to Fork Strategy and the Green Pact.
We urge you to voice your commitment to the phasing out of cage farming and to support an animal welfare acquis based on current robust scientific information. In addition, we remind you of the need to improve the conditions and treatment of animals during transport, to ensure that harmonized improvements in slaughter requirements are met, and to support animal welfare labelling.
On behalf of the many citizens we represent, we call on you to speak out strongly next Monday, December 12, in support of an ambitious and comprehensive update of animal welfare legislation.
Thank you for your attention.
Signatories: Yvan Savy, Director, CIWF France Christophe Marie, Deputy Director, Fondation Brigitte Bardot Louis Schweitzer, President, La Fondation Droit Animal, Éthique et Sciences (LFDA) Elodie Gérôme-Delgado, Director, Quatre Pattes
(1) Quality assessment - FITNESS CHECK of EU Animal Welfare legislation
