Document type Oral answer from the European Commission to question O-000059/23
Authors: question : Niels Fuglsang (S&D), Thomas Waitz (Greens/EFA), Günther Sidl (S&D), Sarah Wiener (Greens/EFA), Emil Radev (EPP), Michaela Šojdrová (EPP), Sirpa Pietikäinen (EPP), Heidi Hautala (Greens/EFA), Annika Bruna (ID), Caroline Roose (Greens/EFA), Pascal Durand (S&D), Pierre Larrouturou (S&D), Martin Buschmann (NI), Manuela Ripa (Greens/EFA), Martin Häusling (Greens/EFA), Maria Noichl (S&D), Anna Deparnay-Grunenberg (Greens/EFA), Grace O'Sullivan (Greens/EFA), Mario Furore (NI), Rosa D'Amato (Greens/EFA), Tiziana Beghin (NI), Petras Auštrevičius (Renew), Tilly Metz (Greens/EFA), Anja Hazekamp (The Left), Sylwia Spurek (Greens/EFA), Francisco Guerreiro (Greens/EFA), Martin Hojsík (Renew), Michal Wiezik (Renew), Malin Björk (The Left), Marisa Matias (The Left), Ville Niinistö (Greens/EFA), Marianne Vind (S&D), Christel Schaldemose (S&D), Karen Melchior (Renew), Alice Kuhnke (Greens/EFA), Pär Holmgren (Greens/EFA), Marina Kaljurand (S&D), Mick Wallace (The Left), Henna Virkkunen (EPP), Róża Thun und Hohenstein (Renew). Answer: Ms Ferreira on behalf of the European Commission
Question: In its farm to fork strategy, the Commission committed to revising the EU’s current animal welfare legislation by the third quarter of 2023. In July 2021, in response to the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) entitled ‘End the Cage Age’, which collected more than 1.4 million signatures, the Commission vocalised its commitment to adopt a ban on cages for the species covered under the ECI. The Commission noted that this ban would be considered in the context of the overhaul of the EU’s 20-year-old animal welfare legislation. In the meantime, in under 10 months, the ECI entitled ‘Fur Free Europe’, which calls for a ban on fur farming in the EU and on placing products derived from fur farms on the market, also collected more than 1.5 million signatures. In mid-October, Eurobarometer published a new special poll on Europeans’ attitudes towards animal welfare, which confirmed EU citizens’ huge support for better animal welfare rules in the EU.
However, when presenting its work programme for 2024, the Commission confirmed that it would publish only the proposal on the protection of animals during transport, and referred to the need for more assessments and dialogue on the other expected proposals aimed at revising the outdated EU animal welfare legislation. Yet, farmers, industry, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders have been discussing this revision for several years, not only through the usual civil dialogue groups established by the Commission, but also via the EU Platform on Animal Welfare and its numerous subgroups. In addition, in the context of the Better Regulation process, two public consultations took place in preparation of the revision, one of which collected almost 60 000 pieces of feedback, placing it among the EU consultations with the highest levels of participation. The EU institutions have also carried out significant work, including numerous scientific opinions published by the European Food Safety Authority, supporting the revision.
In December 2023, the Commission published a proposal on the welfare of companion animals, which was initially expected to be part of the ‘kept animals proposal’ covering a much larger scope. Even though the proposal on pets is welcomed, concerns persist regarding the adoption of the rest of the initial proposal.
In this context: Can the Commission provide a plan containing a clear timeline for the delivery of the still outstanding legislative proposals that it repeatedly promised throughout this term, notably:
1. a proposal for a regulation on the welfare of animals kept for economic purposes,
2. a proposal for a regulation on the protection of animals at the time of killing, and
3. a proposal for a regulation on animal welfare labelling?
Answer: In 2020, the Commission announced that, by 2023, it would revise the European Union’s animal welfare rules and consider options for animal welfare labelling. As part of this revision, we announced, in 2021, the intention to propose rules to phase out and eventually prohibit the use of cages in animal farming. This was in response to the European Citizens Initiative ‘End the Cage Age’.
By now, the Commission has established a vast range of policy options for these future rules. These options are supported by the fitness check of the current rules, several external studies, and 11 scientific opinions delivered by the European Food Safety Authority. And in 2021, we began a thorough impact assessment of their economic, social and environmental impacts. This is still going on.
As you know, on 7 December 2023, the Commission adopted two major animal welfare legislative proposals. The first one is a revised regulation (after two decades) on the protection of animals during transport. The second one is a new regulation dealing, for the first time, with the welfare and traceability of dogs and cats. The work on proposals to revise European Union rules on the welfare of animals at farm level at the time of killing and on establishing harmonised rules for animal welfare labelling is still ongoing.
Work is also still ongoing in relation to the follow-up to our response to the ‘End the Cage Age’ initiative, where we are carefully assessing important aspects to ensure that the transition to cage-free farming is also sustainable for the agricultural sector and for our food systems, in order for the said proposals to be holistic and solid. More consultations are also needed on the costs, on how long the transition periods should be, and relevant measures at import.
The strategic dialogue on the future of EU agriculture started on 25 January 2024. It should be a good place for these discussions.
We are all aware that farmers are looking for a level playing field. Some of them are not satisfied with the scattered landscape we have on animal welfare standards across the European Union. They have to consider many different and constantly changing national requirements and private schemes for animal welfare. It is therefore our responsibility to provide them with long-term stability and clarity about what will be considered acceptable when it comes to animal welfare.
Of course, reforming animal welfare implies costs. We have to take them into account and identify solutions. But reducing the fragmentation of the internal market would allow farmers to invest in their farms and profit from the market opportunities that come with animal welfare improvements.
For all these reasons, we are continuing to look at the best course of action in these areas, keeping in mind stakeholders’ views and of course, the views of the European Parliament.
