Document type: Answer to question no 7524, published in the Journal Officiel de la République Française
Authors. Question: Mrs Corinne Vignon (Ensemble pour la République - Haute-Garonne (3rd constituency)). Answer: Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry
Question: Mme Corinne Vignon alerts Mme de l'ministre de l'agriculture, de la souveraineté alimentaire et de la forêt to the issue of the management of stray animals in mainland and overseas France. Article 11 of Law no. 2021-1539 of November 30, 2021 provided for the publication, within six months of the law's promulgation, of a report designed to draw up a quantified situation report, assess the cost of capturing and sterilizing stray cats and formulate sustainable, operational recommendations to address this issue. The Fondation 30 Millions d'Amis, which runs the largest stray cat identification and sterilization program in France (with a budget of 2.2 million euros in 2023), has alerted the Deputy to the fact that, almost 3 years after the law was enacted, this report has still not been published or submitted to Parliament. It also appears that the trial provided for in Article 12 of the same law has not been implemented. The National Plan to improve the welfare of companion animals announced in May 2024 by Minister Marc Fesneau recognizes that excessive numbers of stray animals give rise to several issues, including health and safety risks, loss of biodiversity and public nuisance, and that sterilization is a proven solution. A start has been made on addressing this issue with the allocation of a budget of 3 million euros earmarked for the sterilization of stray animals, as part of the Finance Act for 2024. She would like to know what concrete actions will finally result from the provisions of the Law of November 30, 2021, and to what extent the national government intends to provide long-term support to local authorities to implement ethical and sustainable policies for sterilizing stray cats.
Answer: Under current legislation, stray animals are impounded under the authority of the local mayor, but elected officials are under no obligation to sterilize stray or feral cats within their municipality. As an alternative, under Article L. 211-27 of the French Rural and Maritime Fishing Code, cats living wild in groups may be captured, sterilized and then released. This solution has the advantage of preventing the recolonization of sites. It does, however, require monitoring of the released population, and a budget for capture, veterinary procedures and proper feeding. Funding is provided by municipal councils and animal protection associations, in varying proportions. Law no. 2021-1539 of November 30, 2021, to combat animal abuse and strengthenthe bond between animals and humans, required the Government to draw up two reports on the subject of stray cats. The first, presenting a quantified assessment of the stray cat population in France and containing recommendations and funding proposals, is currently being finalized by the Ministry of Agriculture. It is based on interviews with local stakeholders, elected representatives, animal protection associations and veterinarians. It also aims to identify the various avenues for improving and financing actions to reduce feline straying. Article 12 of Law no. 2021-1539 makes provision for a trial enabling local councils, who have powers to manage stray cats, to enter an agreement with the national authorities in the region concerning the management of stray cats. Working groups have already been set up with representatives of the regional and departmental governments (Direction régionale de l'alimentation, de l'agriculture et de la forêt and Direction départementale en charge de la protection des populations) and town and rural authorities. The second report will focus on the results of this trial. Ahead of the publication of these reports, and in order to take swift action, the Ministry of Agriculture has launched several initiatives to combat feline abandonment and straying. A budget of 30 million euros (M€) has been earmarked for animal protection associations that take in abandoned dogs and cats or sterilize stray animals. In addition, on September 2, 2024, the French Ministry of Agriculture launched a call for projects to support local authorities and groups and public establishments for inter-communal cooperation (EPCI) that manage stray cats as a non-statutary activity. Pursuant to the Finance Act for 2024, the Ministry is making available a €3m fund for this purpose. Requests for funding mainly concern veterinary procedures for identifying and sterilizing stray cats, and any associated costs. The funding rate is set at 100% of eligible expenses, subject to a ceiling of €100,000 for the largest projects. In addition, special arrangements may be put in place under the responsibility of regional prefects in overseas departments and regions (DROM). Depending on the individual characteristics of these territories, domestic dogs may also be eligible. This funding is allocated as part of the pilot provided for in the above law of November 30, 2021, which allows for the establishment of agreements between national government and Mayors or Heads of territorial authorities and voluntary EPCIs, with the purpose of improving the management and care of stray or stray cat populations and setting out the skills and resources provided by each signatory with this objective in mind. To apply for a grant, local authorities had to respond to the call for projects on the web page entitled "Support for stray cat management projects", which was open for applications until October 10, 2024. This support is fully in line with the Government's national plan to improve the welfare of companion animals, one of whose objectives is to improve the management of canine and feline strays in France.
