Document type Written answer to question P-000307/2023 from the European Commission
Authors: question: Francisco Guerreiro (Verts/ALE), Tilly Metz (Verts/ALE) Answer: Mrs Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission
Question in French: Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union recognises that animals are sentient beings. Responses to Eurobarometer surveys, as well as to the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘End the Cage Age’, have shown that European citizens advocate the improvement of animal welfare through clear legislation, effective policies and adequate enforcement.
EU animal welfare legislation has been in place since 1974; however, the lack of effective enforcement and the fact that the current rules do not reflect the latest scientific research have led to a surge in concerns.
Even though EU laws have been transposed into national legislation across the Member States, the enforcement of fines and other penalties with regard to farmed animals is extremely limited, which calls into question the overall effectiveness of such rules.
Given the ongoing revision of EU animal welfare legislation, it is crucial to strengthen the enforcement of EU laws and develop surveillance and monitoring mechanisms in order to ensure compliance with these laws.
1. Is the Commission gathering data on the enforcement of EU laws at national level?
2. If so, will it include strengthened enforcement mechanisms and infringement procedures in the ongoing revision to ensure compliance with EU laws in the Member States?
Answer in French: 1. Article 113 of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 on official controls (OCR) requires the Member States to annually report on their enforcement activities to the Commission, including on animal welfare. Based on a common template, established in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/723, the Member States have to submit relevant information, including the number of inspections made, the type and number of infringements found, and the sanctions imposed. This information is compiled and assessed by the Commission that publishes its analysis of the overall EU situation in regular, publicly available reports in accordance with Article 114 of the OCR. The latest report was published on 28 March 2022.
2. The lack of tools for monitoring and enforcement is one of the main findings of the Commission’s evaluation (‘fitness check’) of the current EU animal welfare legislation, undertaken in view of the revision of the existing legislation in 2023. It is therefore the intention of the Commission to include in the impact assessment that is ongoing, policy options for more use — and reporting — of animal welfare indicators, and for more use of modern technologies to better protect animals, including during transport and in slaughterhouses.
