Document type: news from Welfarm
Author: Welfarm
Preview: In a move that will significantly improve animal welfare in Germany, Ariane Désirée Kari has been appointed as Federal Commissioner for Animal Welfare. A veterinarian by training, her role as part of the German Federal Ministry of Agriculture covers seven action priorities.
Following her appointment on May 10 by the German Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Ariane Désirée Kari took up post as Federal Commissioner for Animal Welfare on June 12, 2023. She had previously been Deputy Commissioner for Animal Welfare in Baden-Württemberg.
At the time of her appointment, Germany's Federal Minister of Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, welcomed the creation of a bureau at federal level to " strengthen animal welfare in Germany in structural and institutional terms".
7priorities
According to the Ministry, Ariane Désirée Kari will operate "independently in both political and professional terms". In particular, the commissioner will carry out the following duties:
- offer advice and support to the federal minister responsible for animal welfare in the form of recommendations and opinions;
- participate in federal government projects in the field of animal welfare and participate in the further development of animal welfare at national, European and international level;
- cooperate and communicate with the Länder authorities responsible for implementing animal welfare regulations and the animal welfare commissioners appointed in the Länder ;
- handle citizens' inquiries concerning both general and topical animal welfare issues;
- communicate with federal and local animal protection and livestock farming organizations;
6. present and communicate the commissioners' work to the general public; - prepare and publish regular activity reports on the work of the commissioners.
European actions?
The appointment of Ariane Désirée Kari provides an opportunity to draw attention to the EU for Animals campaign launched in March 2021 by the Belgian NGO Gaia and headed up in France by Welfarm. This campaign calls for animal welfare to be explicitly incorporated into the official title of the European Commissioner responsible for the subject, Stella Kyriakides.
The European Commission is organized into Directorates-General (DGs), among them DG SANTE, which deals with health, food safety and animal welfare issues. However, the "long" title of this DG is "Health and Food Safety", making no explicit reference to animal welfare, despite its remit. EU for Animals aims to remedy this situation, so that the place of animal welfare can be established within European institutions.
