Document type Written answer to question E-000940/23 from the European Commission
Authors: question: Margrete Auken (Greens/EFA). Answer: Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission
Question in French (translation) : Compliance with Directive 2008/120/EC on the welfare of pigs
The Commission has previously asked the Member States to establish and update national action plans aimed at preventing the routine tail docking of pigs and to provide quantifiable data to measure the progress made in this area. In a letter to Compassion in World Farming in July 2022, the Commission stated that ‘the latest assessment of the abovementioned action plans is currently in progress and the situation is being examined ... to decide on the best way forward.’ Moreover, in its scientific opinion adopted on 30 June 2022 on the welfare of pigs on farms, the European Food Safety Authority concluded that tail docking ‘is not necessary’ if husbandry practices and management are ‘appropriate’, and recommended that tail docking ‘should not be performed routinely’.
1. Will the Commission publish its most recent assessment of the Member States’ national action plans?
2. What decisions has it made on the best way forward to ensure compliance with the ban on routine tail docking?
3. Is it prepared to launch infringement proceedings against Member States that fail to make serious efforts to enforce this legislation?
Answer: 1. The Commission is currently finalising the assessment of Member States’ national action plans for the prevention of routine tail docking. The results of this assessment will be addressed to the Member States competent authorities. The Commission has not planned to share publicly the above-mentioned assessment, as the subject matter is rather technical.
2. The Commission is monitoring the progress of compliance with the rules on pig tail docking, through the national action plans as well as the follow-up of audit recommendations in Member States. In addition, the Commission is working on legislative proposals to revise the animal welfare legislation by the end of 2023, including on the welfare of pigs. In the latter proposal, the Commission will consider how to best address the issue of routine tail docking in the future legislation so as to improve the implementation of the legislation in the Member States.
3. The Commission has at its disposal a wide array of tools to ensure the enforcement of EU rules, including infringement procedures[1] The Commission Communication on ‘EU law: Better Results through Better Application’[2] sets out the framework for the Commission to pursue cases of alleged infringements of EU law. The Commission uses its discretionary power in a strategic way to maximise the added value of its interventions and make a difference in the lives and activities of as many people and businesses as possible. Based on the follow-up of Member States’ situation on routine tail docking, as referred to in point 2, the Commission will consider the most appropriate actions to ensure compliance.
