France refuses to "create situations that would once again put European livestock farming in a situation of unfair competition or loss of competitiveness."
The European Commission plans to present a concrete proposal for improving animal welfare this autumn. This has been in preparation for several years and has been extensively discussed by the European Parliament and the 27 agriculture and fisheries ministers.
For this reason, French Minister Marc Fesneau has sent a note with five 'discussion points' to EU Commissioner Stella Kyriakides. Over the past months, he has held extensive consultations with the French livestock sector. In the Netherlands, a consultation is currently underway for an agreement on animal-friendly livestock farming.
The introduction of 'mirror clauses' in trade agreements and food imports, previously advocated by France, should – according to Paris – be legally enshrined. Recently, French agricultural organizations already complained about the large increase in cheap imports from Ukraine, due to the lifting of import duties and the expansion of quotas for various agricultural products.
France seems to be keeping its options open regarding a ban on cages. Both the European Parliament and the European Commission plan to phase out cage housing, partly in response to a popular petition. This will likely not happen before 2027.
Fesneau states that new techniques and insights must be taken into account and that the depreciation period of barns and equipment must also be calculated.
Regarding animal transportation, EU Commissioner Kyriakides will likely tighten the rules. Current rules are not well enforced in all EU countries, and the sanctions also differ between countries, as recently reported by the European Court of Auditors (ECA).
This creates the risk that carriers exploit loopholes in the law. In Germany, fines for violations of transport rules can be as high as 25,000 euros, whereas in Italy they range from 1,000 to 6,000 euros.
France and Germany called last summer for a European ban on the killing of day-old male chicks. Together with Austria, Spain, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Portugal, these countries have already submitted a proposal to Brussels. Little has been done with it so far. France believes it should finally be included in the new animal welfare law.
Regarding the introduction of an animal welfare label or European quality mark, France no longer insists on a mandatory approach or on their previously submitted Nutriscore label, but is now discussing a voluntary scheme. Whether Kyriakides and the European Parliament will accept this is still unclear.