Five countries (Denmark, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands) have presented a common position to the European Commission for a new legal framework on animal welfare.
The Commission recently began updating the current laws in this area. "Animal welfare is a major concern for many European citizens," said Danish Minister Rasmus Prehn recently during the presentation at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council.
The Commission's survey and the position of the five EU countries respond to the European Citizens' Initiative "End the Cage Age," in which one and a half million EU citizens called for a ban on cages.
The five EU countries propose incorporating new scientific knowledge and practical experience into the new EU laws. Furthermore, rules should be established for animals not covered in detail by the referendum, such as pigs, laying hens, or turkeys.
German Minister Julia Klöckner called for a joint approach at the European level to introduce "new and necessary measures." In her country as well, there is political and societal advocacy for more animal welfare.
Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski assured that the Commission will carefully study the proposals from the five countries and is already working on some of the suggested ideas. He also noted that the Commission has already committed, in response to the public referendum, to gradually phasing out certain cage systems for animals.
Although the Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers generally agreed that the animal welfare law needs updating, some took a more cautious stance. Hungarian Minister István Nagy warned that "drastic measures would not only seriously affect many farmers but would also have unpredictable consequences for the prices of staple foods."
The French representative advocated that any new animal welfare requirements should be complemented by equivalent requirements for imported products.