European Commission clears way for vegan food campaign

The European Commission has paved the way for a EU-wide signature campaign for vegan food. Last week, Brussels accepted the launch document and statements of support from “European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) for Vegan Meals”.

The initiators are calling for a law that obliges all public and collective restaurants and catering businesses to also put vegan alternatives on the menu. They expect, among other things, a positive effect against climate change and the biodiversity crisis and for food security. 

Following this registration, the organizers now have six months to collect signatures in all EU countries. If a million supporters from at least seven different Member States are found within a year, the European Commission must respond with a reasoned reply.

Similar citizens' initiatives are currently also opposing, among other things, the use of cages and pens in livestock farming and the use of chemicals in agriculture.

The Party for the Animals has called on the European Commission to stop importing Australian products containing kangaroo meat.

MEP Anja Hazekamp wants to know why Brussels has not responded to the parliamentary inquiry into the kangaroo hunt in the Australian state of New South Wales. 

That survey confirms, among other things, that healthy baby kangaroos are killed during the hunt as standard procedure. In addition, many kangaroos are injured by long-range gunshots while hunting, which violates Australian rules and causes severe animal suffering. 

Several large companies, including the Dutch BOL.com, stopped selling kangaroo leather and other kangaroo products after this survey. 

The Party for the Animals made the appeal to the European Commission on World Kangaroo Day. In 2018, Hazenkamp also argued for an import ban, following a shocking documentary about the hunt for kangaroos. The European Commission then took no action.