Document type: written reply published in the Journal officiel de la République française
Authors: question: Sandra Regol (Ecologist - NUPES - Bas-Rhin). Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty
Question: Ms Sandra Regol draws the attention of the Secretary of State to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs with responsibility for Europe to France's position on improving animal welfare at European level. Now that the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament, which has championed animal issues for many years, has secured the creation of a committee of inquiry into animal transport, and that citizens across Europe are becoming more active in their support for animal rights, a European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) entitled "End the Cage Age" surpassed, in 2021, the one million signatures required for its examination by the European Commission. The latter plans to revise EU legislation on animal welfare in 2023 to include, among other things, a ban on cage farming by 2027 throughout the European Union for hens, calves, sows, rabbits, quail, ducks and geese. Besides representing a major step forward for millions of animals, and thus for the greening of European societies, this proposal is supported by a considerable majority of French people (88% in favor). To date, France has been reserved in its statements, showing no particular ambitions in this area. She therefore asks whether the government will support the end of cage farming as part of the revision of European regulations, and whether it intends to push for greater ambitions at European level, notably in favor of a ban on force-feeding ducks and geese, or of mandatory product labelling on farm, transport and slaughter conditions, in order to play a leading role in the promoting of better animal welfare standards and improvement of European farming methods.
Response: The European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) "End the Cage Age", calls on the Commission to bring forward legislation banning the use of: - cages for laying hens, rabbits, pullets, breeding broilers, breeding laying hens, quail, ducks and geese; - farrowing pens for sows; - stalls for sows; - and individual pens for calves. In its response to the European Citizens' Initiative, the Commission undertakes to present, by the end of 2023, a legislative proposal to phase out and eventually ban the use of cage systems for all animals mentioned in the initiative. Improving animal welfare and combating animal abuse are priorities for the French government. There is a strong and growing societal expectation on the part of consumers and citizens regarding animal welfare issues. France supports the approach proposed by the Commission insofar as it will make it possible to objectively assess the feasibility of phasing out the use of cages, based on scientific opinions and a relevant impact assessment that takes into account the evaluation of social, economic and environmental impacts. The government has initiated a preliminary consultation process as part of the revision of animal welfare legislation announced by the European Commission. The aim is to promote the experience and particular nature of French practices to European stakeholders. Several principles underpin this preliminary consultation. First and foremost, the aim is to prevent any distortion of competition. To this end, two levers are preferred: support for European harmonization, and ensuring that any tightening of animal welfare requirements within the European Union is accompanied by the application of equivalent rules for animals whose products are imported. Second, the additional costs must be shared by all links in the livestock supply chain, including retailers and consumers. Last, it is crucial to give operators, especially the next generation, sufficient visibility to enable them to make plans for the future and invest.
