Document type: Response from the European Commission to question E-001907/2024
Authors: question : Matthias Ecke (S&D). Answer: Mrs Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission
Question. Greece is failing to meet its obligations under Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 2013 on the non-commercial movement of pet animals. The animal welfare association Tierschutzinitiative ohne Grenzen e.V. imports cats and dogs from Greece to Germany; it has always had a licence to do so. That licence has now been withdrawn by a court because the association did not use the TRACES system when importing pet animals into Germany. According to that association and other animal welfare organisations (such as Tierschutzverein Südkreta e.V.[1] and Tiere in Not Griechenland e.V.[2]), Greece systematically refuses to provide the necessary data on the use of TRACES. Consequently, the animal welfare association is being prevented from fulfilling its purpose.
1- Is the Commission aware of any other complaints from animal welfare organisations in the EU that Greece is failing to meet the obligations stemming from European animal welfare regulations, in particular with regard to the non-commercial movement of pet animals?
2- How does the Commission view Greece's inadequate implementation of animal welfare obligations, in particular with regard to the transport of animals involving the TRACES system?
3- How does the Commission intend to ensure that Greece provides information in future, in particular since systematic refusal to provide animal transport data is a breach of EU law?
[1]https://tsv-suedkreta.de/aktueller-hinweis/
[2]https://www.tiere-in-not-griechenland.de/
Answer: Movements of animals referred to by the Honourable Member cannot be considered as non-commercial movements of pet animals as their main aim is to transfer the ownership of the concerned animals through an animal welfare association to a new pet owner. They therefore fall under Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/688[1], which provides that dogs and cats must come from establishments that have been registered by the national competent authorities. Without such approval, dogs and cats cannot be moved to other Member States. As for Regulation (EC) No 1/2005[2], there is no requirement to record journey logs for journeys between Member States in TRACES. The Commission adopted in 2023 a proposal for a new Regulation on the protection of animals during transport[3]. This proposal includes provisions on the recording of journey logs in TRACES for the transport of dogs and cats as an economic activity.
[1] Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/688 of 17 December 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council, as regards animal health requirements for movements within the Union of terrestrial animals and hatching eggs, OJ L 174, 3.6.2020, p. 140.
[2] Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 of 22 December 2004 on the protection of animals during transport and related operations and amending Directives 64/432/EEC and 93/119/EC and Regulation (EC) No 1255/97, OJ L 0035.1.2005, p. 1.
[3] Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of animals during transport and related operations, amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1255/97 and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005, COM/2023/770 final.
