| ARCHIVE |
 Ban whale hunting if serious about EU accession, says European Commission
11 December 2009
 The European Commission has confirmed that Iceland will be required to ban the hunting of whales if it succeeds in becoming a new EU Member State. This has been confirmed by the European Commission in a letter to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society and passed on to Eurogroup for Animals.
In recent months, the country has decided to seek EU membership and talks have begun with the European Commission to investigate the Nordic country’s eligibility to join. Animal welfare supporters across the Union subsequently expressed concern about Iceland’s insistence on the keeping of the whale hunt as this is contrary to requirements for membership. Under the EU’s Habitats Directive, whales are protected from deliberate disturbance, capture and killing within European Community waters. If Iceland is serious about EU accession, it will need to fully adhere to this law and the rest of the EU rules and policies.
In its letter, a spokesperson for the European Commissioner for Environment Dimas also says it “remains deeply concerned by the Icelandic whale hunt” and that it has “expressed this concern on various occasions”. The European Commission is expected to formulate its opinion on Iceland’s accession application next year.
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Eurogroup for Animals welcomes
new Treaty
1 December 2009
 Today is an historic day for the European Union and one that will hopefully also change the situation for animal welfare for the better. The first of December marks the entry into force of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty and sets in motion the long-awaited reform of a now enlarged Union. The new Treaty was intended to make the EU more democratic, efficient and transparent.
The new rules provide several opportunities for placing animal welfare higher on the political agenda. As instructed by its democratic principles, the EU institutions need to maintain a regular dialogue with Civil Society, which includes Eurogroup and its Members. A new tool launched by Lisbon, the “citizens’ initiative” also means that if 1 million signatures are gathered, the citizens of Europe can draw the Union’s attention to a specific animal welfare problem and subsequently instruct the European Commission to act. The European Parliament’s increased power in the field of agriculture will also provide additional chances for us to highlight animal welfare concerns in livestock production during the legislative procedure. And last but certainly not least: the Treaty’s Article 13 on animal welfare requires Member States and EU institutions to fully consider animal welfare concerns.
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Italy condemned for breaching EU ban on driftnets
18 November 2009
 Italy has been condemned by the European Court of Justice for continuing to allow its fishermen to use driftnets, hereby condemning a large number of fish, including dolphins and whales, to a cruel death. Driftnets are set up in fixed positions, covering large areas, and left to drift through the water for long periods of time. The use of driftnets leads to the indiscriminate suffering and killing of thousands of fish that are not even sought after by fishermen (so-called by-catch).
Italy has long been investigated by animal welfare organisations for its inaction to protect fish species in the Mediterranean Sea. The use of driftnets is prohibited by EU law since 2002, yet Italy has consistently failed to enforce this legislation adequately.
After many years of submitting complaints and warnings sent by the European Commission, the Southern European country has now been ordered by the European Court of Justice to enforce the EU ban without delay. The Court has however, disappointingly not ordered any sanctions to be taken against the country. Click read more to read the ECJ judgment (Case C-249/08)
(Image courtesy of Greenpeace)
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EU addresses information for consumers about animal products
28 October 2009
 Eurogroup for Animals today welcomed a new European Commission report on how to improve communication to consumers about the way animals are treated in different food production systems. Eurogroup is particularly pleased that this report will start a political discussion on what the EU should do next to promote high standards of animal welfare in the food chain.
Consumers are growing increasingly interested in where and how their food is produced. The issue of sustainable and ethical production is also high on the agenda of producers and policy-makers. Yet many people remain unaware of how animals are reared for food production and as a result, they are unable to make informed purchasing decisions.
Sonja Van Tichelen, Director of Eurogroup for Animals, clarifies: “Although the EU has the highest number of laws on farm animal welfare, its legislation fails to provide an acceptable level of protection to the animals. Most citizens are horrified when shown images of current intensive farming practices such as footage of animals locked in dark cages, castration without anaesthetic, force feeding and genetic selection which leads to disease and injuries.
“Private animal welfare schemes, quality labels or organic production provide alternatives; but for them to succeed, consumers need to be able to identify animal welfare friendly products.”
Eurogroup for Animals now urges the EU and its Member States to makes use of the variety of measures and policies that are already available such as EU-funded information campaigns or support for assurance schemes through rural development funding. Moreover, new initiatives should be envisaged, including in particular, the setting up of a Community centre on animal welfare to assist private and public initiatives on animal welfare.
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first step in court case against Spain over zoo infringement
15 October 2009
 The first step has been taken in a legal procedure against Spain over the country’s infringement of the EU Zoo Directive.
For some years, the country has failed to meet EU regulations on the keeping of wild animals in zoos. Following the gathering of evidence by a number of Spanish animal welfare NGOs, co-ordinated by Eurogroup for Animals, the European Commission decided to investigate. As Spain did not heed the warnings of the Commission to rapidly seek compliance with the rules, the European Court of Justice officially started legal proceedings against Spain at the end of August.
The court case will result in a judgment that pertains to zoos in no less than 9 of Spain’s 17 autonomous regions: Aragon, Asturias, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castile and Leon, Valencia, Extremadura and Galicia. Spain now has one month to lodge a defence regarding the enforcement authorities’ activities and failure to ensure that zoos in these regions were licensed in accordance with EU law.
Criteria for obtaining the necessary licensing include compliance with Zoo Directive stipulations such as proper care for the animals’ welfare, participation in scientific and conservation activities and contributing to the education of zoo visitors. Zoos that do not comply with these rules and therefore are not licensed should be closed, a duty Spain has also neglected to carry out.
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New on-farm welfare assessment system introduced: Welfare Quality
8 October 2009
 The Swedish city of Uppsala is hosting the much-anticipated Final Conference of the Welfare Quality project today and tomorrow. The Conference, co-hosted by the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and attended by EU Health Commissioner Vassiliou and Swedish minister for Agriculture Eskil Erlandsson, will present participants with an innovative new way to assess the welfare of farm animals.
Welfare Quality is an EU-funded research project which set out to develop European standards for the assessment of farm animal welfare. On the basis of the results of the assessment exercise, its researchers that sought to develop practical strategies to improve welfare.
The project was originally started in 2004 and its results will now help to inform producers and retailers how to respond to consumer demand and food supply chain requirements. The main impetus behind the project is a wish to address societal concerns about animal welfare as well as accommodate market demands.
Eurogroup for Animals welcomes the findings of the WelfareQuality and already looks ahead to build on the outcome of WelfareQuality via the European Animal Welfare Platform (EAWP), which provides a discussion platform for stakeholders for the improvement of farm animal welfare to the benefit of the animals as well as producers, retailers and farmers
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Estimated 4.5 million research animals saved from unnecessary chemical tests
17 September 2009
 Eurogroup For Animals and four other animal welfare organisations have welcomed the response of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to a joint letter sent to the Head of the Agency regarding concerns over duplicative animal testing. Duplicative testing is the repeating of the same scientific procedure for confirmation of findings, but this involves the doubling of animals used for testing and is entirely unnecessary.
On 13 August, Eurogroup for Animals sent a joint letter to the Head of ECHA to request clarification on safety testing requirements under the EU’s chemicals regulation, REACH. According to minimum requirements set by REACH, millions of animals need to be used to assess the safety of chemicals.
Eurogroup has long expressed concerned over the unnecessary doubling of the number of tests that is the result of testing facilities wishing to speed up the process to obtain safety certification for their new chemicals.
The European Chemicals Agency has now clarified that chemical producers do not need to submit toxicity studies of testing results based on shorter studies, when the result of similar long term studies are presented. This means that an estimated 4.5 million animals may be safety from having to endure painful procedures.
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Dutch minister congratulated for raising issue of animal transport
8 September 2009
 Eurogroup for Animals has congratulated the Dutch minister of Agriculture, Gerda Verburg, for her intervention at yesterday EU Agriculture Council. The Minister had asked for all 27 EU agriculture ministers to discuss the issue of live animal transport and requested that new rules are put in place to ensure the use of new instruments for the controlling and inspecting of international transport of live animals. This issue has risen to prominence over the past year as the EU is currently revising its rules on animal transport.
Eurogroup for Animals has been campaigning for the inclusion of the requirement for all animal transport vehicles to be equipped with a satellite navigation system which is linked to a central EU database as an enforcement tool of the transport regulation. The transmitting of vital information such as the amount of time travelled and the temperature inside the vehicle in real time will enable enforcement authorities to ensure that animal welfare can be guaranteed at every stage of the journey. Minister Verburg’s proposal was supported by Germany, UK, Denmark, Czech Republic, Austria, Bulgaria and Latvia, but could not count on the backing of France, Spain, Italy and Poland.
The response from EU Commissioner for Health Androulla Vassiliou was that the new proposal for the transport regulation is to be released “as soon as possible”, but gave no date for possible publication. Eurogroup urges the Commission to publish the proposal before the end of its current mandate, which is coming to a close within the next few weeks.
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No cause for celebration as animal testing on the rise
28 August 2009
 At the start of the year’s most important conference on the development of alternatives to animal testing, animal welfare groups are expressing concern over the increasing number of animals used for experiments.
Despite the progress made since the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement of animal testing) were introduced 50 years ago, the number of animals used annually for research in the European Union is more than 12.1 million, according to the latest EU statistics (2), and is still rising.
At the beginning of the 7th World Congress on Alternatives & Animal Use in the Life Sciences, which takes place in Rome from 30 August to 3 September, Eurogroup for Animals is expressing its hope that the event, which will bring together worldwide representatives of NGOs, industry and science as well as authorities and decision-makers, will mark a new chapter for animals used in research.
Eurogroup, which is sponsoring the event, is encouraging the users of animal testing methods as well as policy-makers to invest in the research and development of alternatives to animal testing and to support strategies to phase out animal use.
Click on the link below to read Eurogroup's press release
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Shellfood safety can be assured without animal tests - report
27 August 2009
 A new report by food scientists has cast even more doubt on the need for the controversial and agonising tests for biotoxins in shellfish still being carried out on mice and rats in the EU.
Mouse (MBA) and rat (RBA) bioassays are tests used to see if certain types of shellfish are safe to eat by humans and entail the testing of the large numbers of animals before the shellfish are allowed to be sold for consumption.
These bioassays are an ineffective method of determining the presence of toxins and this week’s report by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has confirmed that these tests cannot be considered an appropriate tool for determining the presence of toxins in shellfish. The experts have also reiterated that numerous alternative non-animal methods exist that are more rapid, selective and much more efficient than these animal tests.
Eurogroup For Animals welcomes this report and its clear support for the use of alternatives to animal testing. Eurogroup now calls on the European Commission to respond to the scientists’ findings and remove the obligation to use bioassays for shellfish toxins, as consumer safety can now be guaranteed without cruelty.
Click on the link below to read Eurogroup's press release
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Experts needed for the validation of alternatives to animal testing
21 August 2009
The European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) to animal testing is looking for scientific experts to apply for membership of ECVAM’s 19-member Scientific Advisory Committee (ESAC). ESAC provides ECVAM, a body of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, with independent, peer-review based advice on the scientific/technical validity of methods for the assessment of the potential toxicity, efficacy and potency of substances.
The development of alternative methods to animal testing is encouraged by Eurogroup as we seek to greatly reduce the need for animal testing. In the past, Eurogroup for Animals was represented on the Scientific Committee by two representatives of our Member Organisations.
Persons with a solid scientific base and a minimum of 15 years of relevant professional experience are invited to apply before 30 September 2009.
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| Belgium to ban cage hens for egg production
13 August 2009
 Millions of laying hens may be set to benefit from better housing following the conclusions of a stakeholders’ committee set up to advise Belgian Health Minister Laurette Onkelinx on the application of EU law on laying hens. Animal welfare organisations oppose all cages, including enriched cages, as they do not permit hens to act according to their natural behaviour and cause numerous welfare problems.
The committee, which consists of producers, consumer and animal welfare groups, including Eurogroup for Animals and its Belgian member organisation GAIA, considered the welfare aspects and economical aspects of caging systems. Three options for the future of laying-hen welfare in Belgium were on the table – applying the EU law and thus banning conventional cages from 2012, thereby allowing enriched cages; improving the standards for enriched cages; or, a complete shift to alternative egg-laying systems such as barn or free range, which offer better welfare guarantees. Eurogroup and GAIA, while pleased with the committee’s advice, which is a first step towards achieving the Belgian legislation that is due to be in place before 1 January 2010, nevertheless expressed regret that a complete ban on cage systems could not be introduced earlier than 2025, due to a former decision by the Belgian government which granted a phase-out period of 15 years.
EU citizens are clearly opposed to the keeping of hens in cages and consumers no longer want to buy cage eggs. Most retailers in Belgium have already accepted this trend and now sell only free-range or barn eggs. Eurogroup for Animals and GAIA are working to ensure that the remaining European retailers and food producers follow suit.
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| Commision EU-US trade report misinterprets US foie gras aversion
12 August 2009
 In response to a new European Commission report on trade barriers between the European Union and the United States of America, Eurogroup has written to the EU’s Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton to address the issue of foie gras production in the US.
In the report, entitled U.S. Barriers to Trade and Investment Report for 2008, the Commission refers to a prohibition on the commercialisation and production of foie gras, or goose liver, in a number of US States as a protectionist measure which is “not directly related to animal protection”. As we are aware that these measures have indeed been put in place in these States for animal protection reasons, Eurogroup felt that we needed to address this error and seek a dialogue with the European Commission to correct the latter’s failure to view the foie gras issue as more than a simple trade barrier.
Eurogroup for Animals is currently in the process of setting up a Transatlantic Animal Welfare Council” intended to tackle issue such as this and to exchange information about EU-US trade developments with an impact on animal welfare.
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| EU Member States support EU seal product ban
28 July 2009
 The Council of the EU has officially adopted the EU Regulation on the trade in seal products. This means that nothing now stands in the way of an EU ban on the trade in these products to coming into effect. The adoption follows an agreement reached between the European Parliament and the Council in May.
After entry into force, it will no longer be permitted to place any products derived from seals killed for commercial purposes onto the EU’s internal market. The European Commission will now have to stipulate specific rules for the implementation of the legislation. The Regulation will enter into force 20 days after publication in the EU’s Official Journal and the ban itself will be applicalbe nine months after the entry into force.
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| New EFSA opinion on cow welfare - food safety link
23 July 2009
 The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) Biological Hazards Panel has published a new scientific opinion on the food-safety aspects of dairy-cow housing and husbandry systems. Although it focuses mainly on the effects on food safety from the manner in which dairy cows are kept, it also reiterates the importance of the welfare of the animals to the safety of their milk and beef products.
The report states: “…ensuring on-farm welfare of dairy cows contributes to, and is beneficial for the food safety aspects of their products entering the food chain (…) Good farming, including provision of optimal animal welfare enhance the animals’ resistance to infections and reduces on-farm spread of food safety hazards.”
EFSA’s biohazard experts have concluded that husbandry criteria such as the proper management of the herd to prevent animal stress ought to be established to ensure that sufficient biosafety guarantees are met. At the same time, they also warn that certain welfare measures may actually contribute to the spread of biological threats, through giving the animals access to outdoor spaces, for example, even though this is recognised as a method of building up the animals’ resistance to disease.
EFSA recognises that more data is still needed before a thorough assessment of the “welfare-beneficial but food safety-undesirable effects” can be made.
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| EU takes legal action against suffering in Spanish zoos
1 July 2009
 The European Commission will be taking Spain to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) over the country’s failure to properly enforce EU rules on the keeping of animals in zoos.
This legal action follows years of monitoring, evidence gathering and reporting of the violations found in Spanish zoos by Eurogroup for Animals and its Spanish member ANDA.
The EU’s Zoo Directive required Spain to have inspected and licensed all of its zoos by April 2005. This deadline was not respected and even today there are still zoos operating without the necessary licensing and a guarantee that all animals residing in these zoos are kept and cared for in welfare friendly conditions.
In the past few years, at least 12 zoological parks were closed as a consequence of our campaign. Eurogroup is pleased to see the Commission finally taking action against a country that has been allowed to flout the rules for too long. Eurogroup’s Director, Sonja Van Tichelen, responded to this wonderful news by saying that “We hope that with the threat of an EU fine, this will push the Spanish authorities to make a difference for the animals kept in Spanish zoos”.
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| Ministers disappoint on new slaughter rules
23 June 2009
 European Ministers of Agriculture yesterday agreed a new EU law which should improve the welfare of animals before being sent to slaughter. Although the new provisions aim to avoid unnecessary suffering and adapt legislation to new technologies and scientific findings, many animals will continue to be killed under unacceptable conditions.
Member states have merely approved minor changes and have avoided addressing the most serious welfare problems that occur at slaughter such as the killing of animals which are still conscious under the guise of religious customs, and live shackling, a very controversial way of killing meat chickens which entails hanging the birds upside down, hereby subjecting them to excruciating pain, and electrocuting them by means of a water bath conductor before proceeding to kill them.
The new Regulation brings a few improvements such as the need for slaughterhouses to appoint an animal welfare officer and operators to be trained and hold a certificate of competence before being allowed to handle the animals.
Eurogroup for Animals also regrets that the new Regulation, which will not have to be applied until 2013, allows EU member states to individually introduce stricter rules for religious slaughter instead of introducing EU-wide rules that apply to all.
“Scientists are clear about the suffering that is a direct consequence of animals not being stunned or properly stunned. We can even count on the support of some religious communities who also would like to see an end to killing without stunning. We now call on EU member states to follow Sweden’s example and ban this practice at national level”, said Eurogroup’s Director, Sonja Van Tichelen.
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| Frank Dales elected new president of Eurogroup for Animals
19 June 2009
 Frank Dales, Managing Director of the Dutch animal welfare organisation Dierenbescherming, has been elected as the new President of Eurogroup for Animals. Mr Dales was elected by the representatives of Eurogroup for Animals’ 42 member organisations at our Annual General Meeting in Brussels on 18 June.
Mr Dales (52) has been head of the Dierenbescherming for two years. The Dierenbescherming is the Netherlands’ largest animal protection organisation and has been a member of Eurogroup since the latter’s creation in 1980. Just last week, the organisation was voted the most influential organisation in the Dutch food chain industry. Eurogroup member organisations unanimously voted to elect him Eurogroup president.
Speaking about his appointment as president, Mr Dales said that he is very happy to be appointed president and that he looks forward to the start of the new European Parliament to improve the plight of animals. “I aim to place animal transport and the revision of the EU’s animal experimentation Directive high on the agenda in the next coming months”, he said, “for these are good examples of issues that can only be solved on the EU stage. MEPs may expect to be approached from all corners by Eurogroup: by the Eurogroup staff for the provision of information and expertise and by Eurogroup’s national and international members who speak for millions of animal welfare supporters across the globe.”
Mr Dales succeeds Mike Baker, who successfully led the European network for three years, but stood down from his post as president following his recent appointment as the new Head of the World Society for the Protection of Animals, also a member organisation of Eurogroup for Animals.
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| New Biocides proposal advocates further reducing of animal testing
15 June 2009
On Friday 12 June, the European Commission published a new proposal that will seek to further reduce animal testing. The proposal, which has been welcomed by Eurogroup, concerns the revision of the EU Biocides Directive (98/8/EC). A biocide is used for crop protection. It can be a substance or product which kills or deters harmful organisms through a chemical or biological process. Before a biocide may be placed on the market, regulations require its developers to engage in animal testing to prove it is safe to use. Friday’s proposal wants to make biocides safer for the environment, for humans and for animals. It also aims to ensure that there is no duplication in testing and that companies that request authorisation for testing are made to share the results of their testing. In addition testing will only be approved in cases of actual need.
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European Food Safety Authority: EU must do more to reduce animal testing
10 June 2009
 Food safety testing often makes use of unnecessary animal testing and EU legislators should work to better incorporate the latest scientific advancements for the replacement of animal tests. These are just two of the remarkable findings of the EU’s leading scientists, included in a new report on current EU legislation and EFSA safety testing methods published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on 8 June.
Eurogroup for Animals is delighted with this new report as the putting into practice of its recommendations would save hundreds of thousands of animals from their use in experiments every year.The report provides an overview of current legislation which requires toxicity testing involving the use of animals It also highlight a substantial number of animal welfare problems that occur as a direct result of the tests, hereby noting the excessive scale of unnecessary testing.
Eurogroup welcomes the Food Safety Authority’s commitment to a proactive animal welfare approach and urges the EU to develop a strategy which new and revised EU legislation automatically incorporate references to the latest progress in the development of alternatives to animal testing.
This new report comes at an excellent time, as EU policy-makers are in the midst of revising legislation on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes (Directive 86/609). The experts have seconded Eurogroup for Animals’ call for extended support for the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM), by calling on the Commission to offer its financial commitment for the development of alternatives and improve communication between EU agencies.
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| Vote For Animal Welfare! 4-7 June 2009 European Elections
26 May 2009
 With just two more weeks to go until the European Parliament elections, Europe’s animal welfare organisations are stepping up their campaigns to help voters to make the right choice for animals at the polling stations.
Building on the impetus of Eurogroup’s election campaign, which centres around our Five-Point Elections Manifesto, member organisations have been preparing for the big vote by organising meetings with candidate MEPs, debates between the public and candidates and also setting up websites that evaluate the track record of present MEPs. These events and information tools now allow EU citizens around the continent to see if their MEPs worked to protect animals over the past legislative period (2004-2009) or worked against our efforts.Question & Answer sessions with prospective MEPs also reveal their commitment to improving animal welfare should they be elected. Click here to learn more about our members' recent efforts.
Looking to the future, Eurogroup has managed to ensure that all but one EU political group has included animal welfare in their party manifestos. The only political group not to include animal welfare is the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR). Eurogroup’s members have spoken to a large number of their candidates, so voters are invited to have a look at what their candidate MEPs have to say about animal welfare issues and, hopefully, take this into account when heading for the polling stations.
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| Bad marks for European zoos - new Eurogroup report
14 May 2009
 Many EU zoos have yet to fully implement European rules on the keeping of wild animals in zoos and national authorities are still failing to enforce legislation on zoo keeping. These are the main conclusions of a new report by Eurogroup For Animals on the enforcement of the EU Zoo Directive.
Eurogroup For Animals has been continuously monitoring the enforcement of EU legislation on zoos across Europe, and this report – presented to the European Commission last month – serves as a reminder that EU countries need to do substantially more to ensure the safekeeping and care of animals kept in zoos.
The report highlights, among other issues, a general lack of information provided by authorities, the lack of resources allocated to licensing and inspections of zoos and a failure to establish clear guidelines for their scientific and educational activities.
The European Commission’s Environment Directorate currently only monitors the implementation of the legislation in an informal way, by processing the data and information provided by various stakeholders, such as Eurogroup.
Eurogroup For Animals now calls on the next EU Environment Commissioner to conduct a formal evaluation of the Zoo Directive implementation that includes stakeholder participation.
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| MEPs miss opportunity to significantly increase protection of lab animals
5 May 2009
 The European Parliament has today voted on the proposal for the revision of the EU’s outdated 1986 Directive on the protection of animals for scientific purposes.
MEPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of better protection for lab animals, but have disappointed animal welfare supporters as MEPs also chose not to take this opportunity to take the revised Directive further and thereby guarantee the EU’s position as world leader in the use of alternatives to animal testing.
Positive outcomes to the vote include support that is to be given for the development of alternatives to animal experiments, and the promotion of alternatives in education and training. Eurogroup For Animals is, however, disappointed that MEPs did not allow for the inclusion of amendments that would have ensured the phasing out of the use of wild-caught primates. They also weakened the proposed rules for the authorisation of procedures that involve animal testing.
Sonja Van Tichelen, Director of Eurogroup For Animals, sees the decision as a step forward but a missed opportunity: “What we need is a U-turn in research to drastically reduce and finally replace the use of animals. For this, we need a different mindset and an overarching European strategy on animal testing with clear targets, replacing the most controversial tests such as those that make use of primates. This law, by itself, will not be sufficient but it will provide an adequate starting point.”
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Also in the News:
- EU agrees to import of seal products ban
- Parliament disappoints on revision slaughter rules
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| MEPs given three chances to drastically improve protection of animals
4 May 2009
 This week, the European Parliament will be voting on three very important animal welfare dossiers. The last plenary session of this Parliament's mandate will vote on the revised rules for the protection of laboratory animals, revised rules for the protection of animals during killing and the EU ban on trade in seal products.
Animal welfare organisations across the world thus have their eyes fixed on Strasbourg this week, as they and millions of animal welfare supporters now look to MEPs to vote to increase the protection of animals and ultimately persuade EU citizens, in turn, to vote in their favour at the EU Parliament elections in just a month's time.
Eurogroup asks MEPs to support our amendments to the animal experimentation and slaughter proposal and to vote in support of a ban on the trade in seal products.
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| Concern over direction of Transport proposal
21 April 2009
 Eurogroup For Animals has written to the European Commission to express our concerns over the half-hearted approach adopted by the EU’s institutions in their plans for the creation of new rules aimed at improving the welfare of animals during transport.
The reason behind our concerns is the fact that the current proposal includes provisions we believe will seriously weaken the protection of transported animals by not imposing appropriate measures or including clear specifications. Although we welcome the Commission’s proposal to restrict the transport of animals sent to the slaughterhouse to nine hours, the text allows for an unrestricted number of exemptions that may be granted by member states. The very imprecise definition of “slaughter animals” will also allow transporters to avoid journey time restrictions: if they say the animals are being transported for further fattening, they will be able to transport them longer.
Eurogroup is also concerned that the text does not make reference to a legal basis for real time checks on transport movements via a global positioning unit – a clear necessity if the proposed regulation is to be properly enforced.
By sending this letter, Eurogroup has now asked these concerns to be addressed by the Commission before the proposal is sent to the full College of Commissioners.
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| Commission recognises importance welfare of farmed fish
8 April 2009
 The European Commission’s Fisheries Directorate has today presented a Communication on the EU’s aquaculture potential. Aquaculture or the farming of aquatic animals including fish and crustaceans and aquatic plants is a growing food sector in the EU and policy makers are looking to increase Europe’s competitiveness and sustainability.
Fish farming has numerous implications for animal welfare and this Communication recognises the importance of the welfare of farmed fish for the development of sustainable aquaculture.
Eurogroup welcomes this clear recognition of welfare concerns and is also pleased to see that the Commission plans to launch a project to evaluate fish welfare in aquaculture with a view to possibly introducing legislation on this topic.
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| MEPs
miss opportunity in animal experimentation vote
1 April 2009
 Eurogroup
for Animals is deeply disappointed with the results
of the vote of the European Parliament's Agriculture
Committee on the protection of animals used for
scientific purposes yesterday afternoon.
The Agriculture Committee have adopted amendments
that will remove important mechanisms for the
protection of research animals from the proposed
text drafted by the European Commission if these
amendments are also adopted in plenary next month.
Some MEPs have even contradicted themselves by
voting to make it easier to experiment on primates
while they had previously (September 2008) adopted
a resolution calling for non-human primate research
to be phased out.
Eurogroup is particularly disappointed that the
MEPs have allowed for tests to be carried out
on animals that cause severe prolonged suffering.
The authorisation procedure for determining what
testing may be carried out has also been weakened.
Director of Eurogroup for Animals, Sonja Van
Tichelen, is shocked to see the reluctance of
some MEPs to improve the protection of research
animals: "We will be working hard to inform
the Members of Parliament about the impact of
these amendments before they vote on this proposal
in Plenary in May.
This is not a choice between science, the development
of medicines or animals protection. It is about
either choosing to take into account the values
of a large majority of European citizens, or letting
industry get away with unnecessarily using animals.
Our supporters, spread all over the EU, care deeply
about this issue and will be watching closely
to see how their MEPs will vote. With only a few
weeks before the European elections, we will make
sure this will be a key consideration for all
animal welfare supporters when they cast their
vote in June."
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| MEPs
gear up for historic vote to decide future of millions
of lab animals
31 March 2009
 This
afternoon, an historic vote is to take place in
the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee
which will undoubtedly decide the fate of how
laboratory animals are to be treated for years
to come.
Twenty-three years after the introduction of
the EU's directive for the protection of animals
used for scientific purposes, the EU is finally
revising the outdated rules that have determined
how animal testing may be carried out. The Agriculture
Committee is the lead committee in the Parliament's
deliberations of the dossier and it will vote
on the text that is sent to the Plenary in early
May.
Eurogroup for Animals is concerned that the calls
for the better protection for laboratory animals
may be in vain as some MEPs have been tempted
by the industry and research lobbies to water
down the Commission proposal so as to keep animal
testing as easy as possible. This would be in
sharp contrast to the EU's firm stance dedicated
to reducing the number of animals used and replacing
animal test with alternatives.
Eurogroup urges the members of the Agriculture
Committee to do the right thing by voting for
amendments which will seriously reduce the number
of animals to be used in research. These amendments
will allow for the retaining of the quality of
EU research and competitiveness, but will ensure
better protection for animals and citizens alike.
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| European
Parliament says no to food from cloned animals
25 March 2009
 An
overwhelming majority of Members of the European
Parliament has today voted against the authorisation
of food products from cloned animals and their
offspring.
MEPs have made it clear that, instead of including
rules on cloning for food production in the EU's
pending novel foods regulation, they want a specific
Commission proposal to prohibit cloning of animals
for food and the import of such products.
Eurogroup for Animals welcomes the Parliament's
call for a ban on the sale of food products from
cloned animals and their offspring as cloned animals
suffer from many defects and often die younger.
Last September, a parliamentary resolution called
on the European Commission to ban cloning, but
the Commission has been delaying action in the
dossier for some time. Today's vote however carries
more weight as the novel foods dossier is following
the co-decision procedure, thereby giving the
Parliament more power in deciding the ultimate
outcome of the legislation.
Sonja Van Tichelen, director of Eurogroup, considers
that the Commission is not respecting its own
rules by delaying rules to ban the cloning of
animals and by doing so the Commission is not
only going against its own legal obligations,
it is also ignoring the clear message sent by
EU citizens: "It is unacceptable that with
so many facts and figures against animal cloning,
the European Commission has not yet taken the
decision to ban it. By not banning cloning for
food production the Commission is telling its
citizens that it finds trade concerns more important
than animal suffering and the concerns of its
citizens."
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| European
Parliament committee largely ignores positive slaughter
report
18 March 2009
 The
European Parliament's lead committee in the slaughter
dossier has this week done away with the significant
progress made by the European Commission and the
Parliament's rapporteur for the enhancing of the
protection of animals at the time of killing.
The Parliament's Agriculture Committee's vote
on Monday has now weakened both the favourable
proposal drawn up by the European Commission and
the draft report of Janusz Wojciechowski (UEN,
Poland). Both documents included many of Eurogroup
for Animals' demands to limit the suffering of
animals sent to be killed.
Areas that have sadly been weakened concern the
requirement to have an animal welfare officer
present in all slaughterhouses and the requirement
for all abattoir personnel to be trained and granted
a certificate of competence.
Eurogroup is also very disappointed that, as
a result of the vote, it will also be compulsory
for member states to allow the killing of animals
for religious purposes without stunning as an
exemption to the general legal requirement. The
Commission proposal had originally included the
possibility for Member States not to grant such
an exemption.
Eurogroup will now focus all of its attention
on the adoption vote in plenary, scheduled for
7 May 2009, and will make sure that key amendments
are once again proposed.
|
| Parliament's
industry committee not serious about reducing animal
testing
10 March 2009
Last
night, the European Parliament's Industry, Research
and Energy (ITRE) Committee voted on the report
by Esko Seppänen which states that as long
as animals continue to be used in experiments,
they deserve the highest level of protection.
This statement is, however, in sharp contrast
to a number of amendments proposed by other MEPs
that give the impression that scientists will
be given almost complete freedom when it comes
to research. The ITRE committee supports the use
of alternative non-animal methods but will only
accept those methods which have been internationally
accepted.
The principle of using alternatives whenever
available has been embedded in EU law since 1986
and it is very much at the heart of efforts to
reduce the number of animals used in research.
These efforts to remove that provision are most
disconcerting as it can take years of bureaucracy
before alternative methods are accepted internationally.
During this lengthy waiting period, animals will
continue to suffer in spite of the fact that scientifically
accepted alternatives exist.
A full plenary vote is expected to take place
in May. Eurogroup for Animals will now step up
its efforts to inform MEPs of the benefits and
the urgent need to speed up the development and
the use of alternative methods.
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| Live
transport: commissioner welcomes Handle With Care
petition
27 February
2009
 Eurogroup
for Animals presented the EU commissioner for
health, Androulla Vassiliou, with a petition of
over 150,000 signatures to end the long-distance
transport of live animals yesterday.
Eurogroup is part of a global coalition of animal
welfare organisations that have been campaigning
for decades to end the long distance transport
of live animals.
Mrs Vassiliou received the Handle With Care delegation
for a short meeting and then took part in a short
press briefing and photocall.
In her speech, the commissioner reiterated her
commitment to initiate legislation that will impose
restrictions on the duration of live animal transport
and the revision of elements in the transport
regulation that currently hinder its proper enforcement:
"If member states systematically fail to
ensure the correct implementation of EU legislation,
the Commission can take infringement proceedings.
I have made a commitment that the Commission would
consider the possibility, before the end of this
mandate, to review certain elements of the current
Regulation that make its proper enforcement difficult
and are not in line with scientific advice, like
travel times and space allowances."
"The Commission is aware that long distance
transport of animals for commercial purposes may
cause serious suffering to animals. I am appalled
by the images of such suffering that have been
brought to my attention", Mrs. Vassiliou
said.
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Outrage
over live plucking of geese
12 February 2009
 Eurogroup
members were shocked to learn that Hungarian geese
farmers are still resorting to the feather plucking
of live geese.
The matter was brought to light by the Kalla Fakta
programme aired by the Swedish broadcaster TV4.
The documentary shows the birds being plucked
alive whilst trying to escape the grasp of farm
workers.
Following the original broadcast and the outrage
it has caused among the Scandinavian public and
animal welfare organisations alike, many other
European television stations have decided to broadcast
the programme.
Eurogroup members including Dyrenes Beskyttelse
(Denmark), Djurskyddet Sverige (Sweden) and the
Finnish organisation SEY have all taken action
to attempt to stop these practices and to raise
awareness among consumers about products that
contain goose down.
Following the uproar Swedish home improvement
retail chain IKEA has issued a statement that
it is very concerned about this issue and that
it has launched an investigation into the geese
farms it commissions to produce its products.
The plucking of live birds is prohibited in Hungary
(and indeed in most EU member countries; with
the exception of Estonia, Romania and Slovakia)
under the Council of Europe recommendations concerning
domestic geese.
Click read more to view the documentary online
[in Swedish; link may expire]
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| Cloning:
commissioner urges EU to "act now"
4 February 2009
The EU commissioner on agriculture and rural development
has spoken out about the EU's ongoing discussions on
the issue of the cloning of animals for food production
and urges the European Union to take immediate action.
Mariann Fischer Boel has addressed the issue of cloning
on her personal blog, where she seconded Eurogroup for
Animals' call for the EU not to dismiss clear signals
given by scientists and consumers to ban the cloning
of animals for food.
Fischer Boel writes: "I do not want to go back
to the dark days of the "mad cow" crisis.
There is no lack of quality meat and prices are affordable.
Allowing cloning would only benefit a handful of companies
while it could undermine consumer confidence in farmers
and food producers. It is not about protecting European
farmers' market shares; it's merely about being reasonable,
especially in view of public opinion."
The commissioner does, however, not advocate a complete
ban on cloning as she condones the practice of cloning
to ensure the survival of certain animal species or
in the field of medical research.
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|
Eurogroup
to protest against Brazilian exports of live animals to
Italy
28 January 2009
The Italian and Brazilian authorities and meat industry
of are currently in the midst of negotiating the matter
of the transport of live cattle from the Brazilian state
of Santa Catarina to northern Italy. Transporting animals
to that destination would entail a journey by sea that
would take at least 17 days.
Eurogroup for Animals and its Italian member Lega Anti
Vivisezione are appalled by these plans and are planning
to contact the European Commission and the Italian ministry
to protest against these shipments.
Eurogroup for Animals director Sonja Van Tichelen pointed
out: "This is a clear example of unnecessary lengthy
transport which we would like to see halted in the future.
The EU transport rules state that 'long journeys should
be limited as far as possible' and 'long journeys are
likely to have more detrimental effects on the welfare
of animals than short ones', but these arguments are
rarely considered.
"As many as 15,000 to 100,000 animals are expected
to embark on this long journey in the near future. If
Italian consumers insist on having Brazilian meat, we
suggest that they transport the meat instead of live
animals."
It is hoped that this barbaric trade will soon be halted
as the European Commission is due to finalise its proposal
on the limiting of journey times before the summer.
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|
Conference
calls for collaboration on animal welfare
22 January 2009
 An
international conference has called for collaboration
on animal welfare to meet the challenges of climate
change, increasing food demand, and the need to remain
competitive in a global marketplace.
The Conference on Global Trade and Farm Animal Welfare
took place in Brussels on 20 and 21 January, during
which it was concluded that adopting higher welfare
farming methods would bring benefits to the farmer,
consumer, environment, and developed and developing
countries alike. This could be facilitated by sharing
best practice and assisting developing countries with
their farming.
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Conference
to explore trade opportunities of animal welfare
19 January 2009
 A
Brussels conference will this week show what trade opportunities
higher standards for animal welfare have to offer. On
20 and 21 January the Conference on Global Trade and
Farm Animal Welfare will bring together anyone from
farmers, retailers, politicians, academics, international
institutions and animal welfare organisations to present
positive experiences of inclusion of animal welfare
in the trade environment. This event, which follows
a successful forum held in Brussels last April, is being
organised by the Directorate-General for External Trade
and the Directorate-General for Health and Consumers
of the European Commission, together with Eurogroup
for Animals, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals, Compassion in World Farming, and World Society
for the Protection of Animals.
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MEPs
question Commission on enforcement of live transport rules
15 January 2009
 MEPs
urged the Commission to ensure the rules on protection
of animals in transport are properly enforced during
an oral question in the European Parliament today. Many
of the speakers spoke about the necessity to give this
due attention as a civilised society should treat animals
properly. In addition to raising doubts about how rules
were being adhered to, some MEPs recalled the need for
limiting journey times as the only way to ensure animal
welfare.
Apart from criticising member states, MEPs also asked
the Commission to increase the number of controls by
the Food and Veterinary Ovffice as well as coming forward
with the much awaited new Commission proposal on limiting
journey times and stocking densities.
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|
European
Commission guilty of ignoring its own legislation
14 January 09
 Eurogroup
for Animals, which represents animal welfare organisations
from all over Europe, will be filing a complaint of
maladministration against the European Commission with
the European Ombudsman. By delaying action on the cloning
of animals for food, the Commission has failed to respect
the EU directive for the protection of farm animals,
which states that reproduction techniques which cause
animals to suffer cannot be used. Commissioners decided
yesterday in Strasbourg to once again put off submitting
a proposal, claiming more scientific answers were needed
as well as a debate with international trading partners.
Eurogroup for Animals is appalled by this wait-and-see
approach as all the scientific evidence clearly demonstrates
that cloning is harmful for the animals.
Eurogroup director Sonja Van Tichelen said: "We
are shocked that the Commission is disrespecting its
own rules because it values trade relations over the
welfare of animals and the wishes of consumers. The
Commission has let down animals and people by failing
to propose a ban on the cloning of animals for food.
The wasteful practice has been shown to cause animals
to suffer at every stage, yet the Commission has chosen
to ignore all the scientific evidence, the majority
of Europeans who are against it, as well as the advice
of the EU's own institutions.
"Eurogroup will be calling on member states to
apply the directive for the protection of farm animals
and introduce national bans if the Commission continues
to do nothing."
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Canada
changes seal hunt rules to avoid EU ban
8 January 09
 Canada
has tweaked its seal hunt rules in an attempt to mask
the inherent cruelty of it and avoid being hit by an
EU ban on seal products. The European Commission proposed
last July a ban on the trade and import of seal products
except for those countries that could prove their seals
had been killed "humanely". Canada has now
made minor changes to its regulations for the annual
seal hunt, such as a ban on the use of the hakapik on
seals older than one year, which would affect only less
than one percent of the seals killed.
Sonja Van Tichelen, director of Eurogroup for Animals,
said: "These adjustments will not fool anyone.
The hunt will remain as cruel as it has ever been. It
is impossible to ensure each seal is killed humanely
as the hunt takes place over a vast area in difficult
circumstances. The EU should go ahead with a ban and
not have any exemptions for seals that were 'supposedly'
killed humanely."
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Great
hopes for 2009
23 December 08
 2009
already promises to be a great year for animals with
an EU ban on the trade in cat and dog fur coming into
force in January. Eurogroup members campaigned for the
ban after discovering many manufacturers used pelts
from cats and dogs for clothing and toys without labelling
them as such.
Eurogroup hopes that the new year will also bring many
other improvements for animals such as an EU trade ban
on seal products and a ban on products from cloned animals.
It also wishes there will be progress on legislative
proposals to protect the welfare of animals at the time
of slaughter and animals used in research and that there
will be new legislation proposed to protect live animals
being transported.
To help achieve this Eurogroup will continue to work
on behalf of the millions of animals throughout Europe
in 2009 and beyond.
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|
Prison
sentence for causing animals to suffer and die during
transport
16 December 08
 A
lorry driver who caused animals to suffer and die during
transport has been given an eight month prison sentence.
The Dutchman was found guilty by an Italian court due
to exceeding the permitted loading density and journey
time, exposing the animals to excessive temperatures,
an for failing to provide rest and water for the animals.
The case was brought by Animals’ Angels and Eurogroup
member Lega Antivivisezione (LAV).
Animals’ Angels investigators alerted the police
when they observed the vehicle in Italy in July 2005.
When the vehicle was stopped, dead and dying pigs were
discovered on top of each other. Blood was running down
the walls, while some of the pigs had started to cannibalise
the others.
Animals’ Angels and LAV will now also be pursuing
the transport company after the judge recognised both
parties as civil parties, which gives them the right
to seek compensation for damages.
Eurogroup director Sonja Van Tichelen said: “It
is great that the judge recognised the severity of the
offences and landed the driver with an eight-month prison
sentence. Pigs are sentient beings capable of suffering
the same way as humans.
“This case again highlights the need for stricter
enforcement. EU member states should do all they can
to check companies follow legislation to protect the
welfare of animals during transport.”
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Film
exposes welfare issues in slaughterhouses
11 December 08
 Serious
welfare problems at German slaughterhouses have been
exposed in a film produced by director Manfred Karremann
and Eurogroup member Deutscher Tierschutzbund. The shocking
images broadcast at German national television show
how slaughterhouses in the country still fail to minimise
the suffering of the animals involved. It can still
happen that cows or pigs are slaughtered without any
stunning.
The European Commission proposed in September 2008
new legislation to improve the welfare of animals at
the time of slaughter.
Eurogroup director Sonja Van Tichelen said: “If
these difficulties already exist in a country such as
Germany, you can only imagine what problems persist
in the rest of the EU. It shows once again that urgent
action is needed.
“The EU should approve the new legislation regarding
slaughter as soon as possible as this is something that
affects millions of animals each day.”
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Portuguese
zoos break EU animal protection rules
9 December 08
 Eurogroup
for Animals has lodged a formal complaint with the European
Commission in protest of the poor conditions animals
are being kept in at Portuguese zoos. Under European
legislation Portugal was obligated to have inspected
and licensed all its zoos by April 2005 at the latest.
Nearly four years later, 20% of Portuguese zoos are
still unlicensed and thus operating illegally. Some
of the zoos that are licensed do not respect legal requirements.
An investigation by Eurogroup has uncovered many shortcomings
that put both the animals and the public at risk.
Problems found at Portuguese zoos vary from barren
enclosures, to highly social animals being housed in
isolation, and animals of different species being kept
together inappropriately. Some animals have been seen
to mutilate themselves and behave aggressively towards
other animals.
In addition safety and security risks were identified
for animals and visitors alike. Many animals are kept
in enclosures that could easily be opened by the public.
In one case a lemur monkey was found to be outside the
enclosure as it was able to pass through the mesh.
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Action
needed on illegal home slaughter
5 December 08
 Authorities
are urged to ensure ritual slaughter during the feast
of Eid al-Adha will only take place in licensed slaughter
houses. On December 8 Muslims commemorate Abraham's
willingness to sacrifice his son to God and as part
of the festivities sheep are slaughtered.
Eurogroup for Animals calls on authorities to check
for any illegal home slaughter which could cause animals
to suffer needlessly. Under European legislation sheep
slaughter without stunning is only allowed to take place
in licensed slaughterhouses by professionals. Eurogroup
members will be monitoring the situation in the various
member states.
Director Sonja Van Tichelen said: "Slaughter should
only be done by trained professionals in licensed slaughterhouses
to help minimise the suffering of the animals. We would
ask everyone to do all they can to make this happen."
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Report
highlights problems with farming sea bass and sea bream
28 November 08
 Welfare
problems with the farming of European sea bass and gilthead
sea bream have been identified in a newly published
report by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
The risk assessment outcomes showed there could be problems
with handling and with poorly formulated feed and poor
storage. Also there was a lack of available authorised
anaesthetics for use in broodstock.
The EFSA report stated that management practices should
be implemented to minimise disturbance to the fish.
An important hazard is diseases spreading.
Although fish farming is increasingly becoming more
popular in Europe, there are still no legal standards
for it. Currently EFSA is working on scientific opinions
on the animal welfare aspects of husbandry systems for
various fish.
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More
money for rural development
20 November 08
 EU
agriculture ministers have agreed to move more money
from direct payments to rural development, which could
benefit practices such as organic farming. The spending
increase is part of a political agreement on the health
check of the EU's common agricultural policy. The extra
funds will have to be used to fund ways to tackle new
challenges, including measures to fight climate change.
This could include measures that will benefit animal
welfare at the same time, such as extensive free range
and organic farming.
Eurogroup for Animals welcomes the increase in rural
development spending, but regrets agriculture ministers
did not adopt the higher figures proposed by the Commission.
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Commission
launches game to educate children on farm welfare
13 November 08
 The
European Commission has launched an internet game designed
to teach children more about farm animals and the conditions
that are needed to secure their welfare.
Farmland,
the name of the game, introduces children to a virtual
farm where they are needed to build an animal-welfare
friendly environment, feed the animals and take care
of their general well-being. The website was launched
within the scheme of the European Vet Week (10-16 November
2008) and is available in nine languages (English, French,
German, Greek, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Polish and Swedish).
EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou stressed
the importance of offering this type of tools to Europe's
children: "Information and communication play an
important role in helping us to understand the value
of animals in our society. We have a duty to inform
our children about the origin and production ojf food
and to raise awareness about animals and how they should
be handled and treated. With 'Farmland' we believe we
achieve these objectives in a way that is also interesting
and entertaining for our children."
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International
conference on trade opportunities animal welfare has to
offer
10 November 08
.jpg) A
conference showing the benefits higher standards for
animal welfare have to offer to international trade
will take place in Brussels on 20 and 21 January 2009.
The Conference on Global Trade and Farm Animal Welfare
will bring together anyone from farmers, retailers,
politicians, academics, international institutions and
animal welfare organisations to present positive experiences
of inclusion of animal welfare in the trade environment.
This event, which follows a forum held in Brussels
last April, is being organised by the Directorate-General
for External Trade and the Directorate-General for Health
and Consumers of the European Commission, together with
Eurogroup for Animals, Royal Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals, Compassion in World Farming,
and World Society for the Protection of Animals.
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EU
institutions urged to make new animal experimentation
law a priority
5 November 08
Eurogroup
for Animals calls on the European Parliament and the
Council to take up discussions of the long-awaited proposal
for a new directive on animal experimentation announced
today as a matter of priority. If the new proposal is
not discussed in Parliament by the time of the next
European elections in June 2009, the legislation risks
being significantly delayed.
Eurogroup director Sonja Van Tichelen said: “Every
day this new legislation is not enacted, thousands more
animals will suffer. This new proposal has been eagerly
awaited for years and any further delay would be simply
unacceptable.”
The Commission, which published the proposal today,
has been working on the revision of directive 86/609/EEC
since 2002 and its publication was delayed several times
this year. With existing legislation dating from 1986
it is high time to consider new scientific developments
as well as the ever growing concern of EU citizens about
animal testing. In a public consultation, 93% of respondents
said more needs to be done to improve the level of welfare/protection
of animals used in experiments by action at EU level.
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Call
for stricter controls on live animal transport
21 October 08
 Eurogroup
is calling for stricter controls on live animal transport
after further evidence emerged of widespread welfare
problems. The EU's Food and Veterinary Office has published
two reports criticising transport live transport in
Italy and Germany.
The FVO report for Italy said the procedures for enforcing
EU regulations in some regions are still "generally
insufficient" and that there was a substantial
number of cases where not enough was done to prevent
unnecessary suffering during transport. The report on
Germany only checked Lower Saxony but discovered there
was a lack of control by the veterinary authorities
of journey logs and the checking of the competence or
training of staff.
Meanwhile the number of violations during animal transport
in the Netherlands doubled during the first part of
this year compared to the same period last year. This
has been attributed to a significant increase in the
number of inspections.
Director Sonja Van Tichelen commented: "It is
clear that a better control system is urgently needed
to guarantee the welfare of animals during transport.
It is unacceptable that so many of them should suffer
when so much of it can be prevented. Controls should
be toughened up to ensure companies will not be able
to get away with this.
"We call on the Commission and members states
to introduce a satellite navigation system which would
allow authorities to follow the trucks in real time
without even leaving their office. The technology exists
and is accepted in other sectors of industry."
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MEPs
urged to make their mark for animals
15 October 08
Candidates
for next year's European elections are being asked to
include objectives for animal welfare in their policy
programme for the 2009-14 Parliament. Eurogroup for
Animals has produced a manifesto with five clear objectives
to improve the lives of animals in Europe. It is urging
each political group to include it in its 2009 election
programme. The objectives are to improve farm animal
welfare, reduce animal experiments, protect pets, conserve
and respect wildlife, and to implement and enforce legislation.
Sonja Van Tichelen, director of Eurogroup for Animals,
said: "Voters care deeply about what happens to
animals, so they will want to know what Members of Parliament
will do to protect them. In many cases it could be the
deciding factor when they cast their vote. We urge politicians
to take up the challenge and lead on animal welfare
issues."
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European
consumers reject products from cloned animals
9 October 08
Nearly
six out of ten people in Europe (58%) feel that animal
cloning for food production should never be justified,
according to a Eurobarometer
survey published today. In addition, 43% said they were
"not at all likely" to buy food from cloned
animals while 41% said they would not consider products
from the offspring of cloned animals.
The survey was commissioned by the European Commission
to help it decide whether it should approve the controversial
practice within the EU.
Eurogroup for Animals has welcomed the survey and urges
the Commission to propose a ban on animal cloning for
food, which is a wasteful practice that causes animals
to suffer at every stage. This should also include a
ban on the import and marketing of products derived
from it.
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UN
urged to put animal welfare on the agenda
30 September 08
 A
coalition of leading international animal welfare organisations,
including Eurogroup for Animals, has called on the UN's
Food & Agriculture Organisation (UN FAO) to place
the welfare of animals on its agenda for the first time.
The call comes as a panel of international experts,
appointed by the FAO's Animal Production and Health
Division, begins discussions at the first ever 'Expert
Meeting On Capacity Building To Implement Good Animal
Welfare Practices' in Rome (30 Sept - 3 Oct).
The coalition of animal welfare organisations has issued
a set of 10 recommendations for the UN FAO to include
animal welfare considerations in all its actions. Improving
the health and welfare of animals would bring considerable
benefits to farmers and their families, especially in
developing nations, help protect the environment, support
trade, ensure effective preparation for and recovery
from disasters, as well as address the growing global
demand for higher welfare practices and production systems.
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Presidency
says no to battery cage ban delay
26 September 08
The French minister of agriculture, Michel Barnier,
spoke out against delaying the ban on the use of battery
cages for laying hens this Wednesday. Mr Barnier was
a guest speaker at the Intergroup on Welfare and Conservation
of Animals meeting taking place in Brussels.
When asked if he would consider pushing back the 2012
ban to a later date, Mr Barnier said: “I would
not like us to go back on that date. I would not like
to see it
postponed. That is the Council position, that battery
farming should cease on that day.”
Eurogroup has welcomed the position taken by the French
and hopes that this may encourage egg farmers to make
the most of the three years they have left to make the
necessary changes to their infrastructure.
Sonja Van Tichelen, director of Eurogroup, feels the
time has now come to stop stalling: “They have
had almost nine years to prepare. It is now time to
act and stop complaining that there is not sufficient
time
left.”
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Slaughter
proposals hailed as boost to animal welfare
18 September 08
 Eurogroup
for Animals has welcomed Commission proposals to overhaul
the current slaughter directive with improvements such
as introducing animal welfare officers in slaughterhouses
and requiring all staff working with animals to have
their competence assessed. The planned revision of directive
93/119/EC on the protection of animals at the time of
slaughter or killing also includes the creation of animal
welfare reference centres in each member state, which
can be used to get technical advice. They will also
be responsible for assessing new methods, equipment
and technologies.
Sonja Van Tichelen, director of Eurogroup for Animals,
said: "These proposals are a step in the right
direction and will benefit millions of animals. It is
unacceptable in a civilised society that animals have
to suffer in their final moments. So much of their suffering
can be avoided or decreased by having well-trained staff
and by using appropriate stunning techniques."
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EU urged to hurry
up on research animals
10 September 08
 Eurogroup
for Animals has written to the Commission to ask them
to finally publish the long-awaited revision of the
directive regulating the protection of animals used
in testing in research. The current directive has been
left unchanged since 1986 and needs urgent updating
to incorporate the latest scientific research. Although
the revision was announced in 2003, the Commission still
has not made its plans public.
Eurogroup's president Mike Baker urged President Barroso
to convince his colleague Commissioners to agree on
a proposal as soon as possible: "This new legislation
could do much to help reduce the need for millions of
animals being used every year. It would be in everyone's
interest to publish the proposal and start the public
debate."
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Eat less meat, says UN climate expert
9
September 08
 The
United Nation’s top climate expert is urging people
to eat less meat to help reduce damage to the environment.
Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the UN Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate change, said a diet adjustment could
be one of the easiest measures that could be taken.
“In terms
of immediacy of action and the feasibility of bringing
about reductions in a short period of time, it clearly
is the most attractive opportunity,” he said. “Give
up meat for one day [a week] initially, and decrease
it from there.”
Eurogroup for animals has welcomed
his comments as it also believes eating less meat is
better for the planet. According to the UN Food and
Agriculture Organisation, livestock accounts for nearly
a fifth of all greenhouse-gas emissions. [See
also: Less meat to help save the planet]
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MEPs vote to support ban on cloning
3 September 08
European
parliamentarians today voted with an overwhelming majority
in favour of a resolution proposing to ban cloning of
animals for food. No fewer than 630 MEPs voted in favour
and only 32 against. The motion for resolution was initiated
by the Intergroup on Animal Welfare, and urges the Commission
to prohibit cloning of animals for food and any products
from cloned animals and their offspring. Cloning is
an inefficient process that causes animals to suffer
at every stage.
The news has been welcomed by Eurogroup for Animals,
which provides the secretariat for the Intergroup and
which has been campaigning against cloning for food.
Director Sonja Van Tichelen said: "After MEPs
voted with such an overwhelming majority to oppose cloning
of animals for food, the Commission can't afford to
ignore their message. It is now up to the Commission
to take up the challenge and act to stop cloning of
animals for food being approved in the EU."
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Less
meat to help save the planet
21 August 08
 People
should eat less meat to help tackle the challenge of
climate change, according to Eurogroup for Animals.
The animal welfare organisation is taking part in a
consultation by the European Commission on what the
European Union's approach to a global climate change
agreement should be. Eurogroup is advising to cut back
on meat, and when people do eat meat it should be produced
to higher animal welfare standards.
The major impact livestock production has on climate
change was highlighted in a report by the UN Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO): Livestock's
Long Shadow - Environmental Issues and Options.
Livestock and related activities such as deforestation
and increasingly fuel-intensive farming practices are
responsible for more than 18% of human made greenhouse
gas emissions. This is more than the global emissions
of the transport sector.
Livestock farming also contributes excessively to
land use effects, since enormous amounts of crops are
cultivated in order to feed the animals. Worldwide,
livestock production occupies 70% of all land used for
agriculture, which corresponds to 30% of the Earth's
land surface.
Global meat production is expected to double to 465
million tonnes in 2050 due to people eating more meat
and diary products.
Eurogroup director Sonja Van Tichelen said: "Climate
change is something that will affect all of us, but
by adjusting our diet we can already make a difference.
Eating less meat will not only benefit your health,
it will also lead to fewer harmful emissions. And by
choosing to buy only meat produced to higher animal
welfare standards you will help animals and the climate
alike."
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Call
to stop painful slaughter method
12 August 08
 The
painful practice of hanging birds upside down for slaughter
should be phased out over the next few years, according
to an influential organisation dedicated to animal welfare.
The Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC), an independent
body which advises the British government, has been
researching the slaughter of birds such as broilers,
turkeys and geese, and will be releasing a report in
the next few months. Professor David Henderson said
they were greatly concerned about so-called live shackling.
This involves hanging birds upside down in a shackle.
It is known to be painful for birds as it puts pressure
on the periosteum, a very sensitive tissue.
Eurogroup for Animals welcomes their comments, as it
is already campaigning for live shackling to be phased
out. Currently poultry are shackled on automated lines
whenever electrical waterbaths are used to stun the
animals.
The European Food Safety Authority said that hanging
birds upside down on shackles is extremely stressful,
and that this physiologically abnormal position can
also lead to many injuries and occasional painful pre
stun shocks.
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Call
for quick decision on primates at risk
 of
extinction
7 August 08
Eurogroup urges the European Commission to adopt new
legislation on animals used in research as soon as possible
after new figures revealed that half of the world's
primates species are at risk of extinction. It is expected
that the new EU rules will include an end to the use
of wild-caught primates and great apes for research,
whereas Eurogroup will be campaigning for a full phase-out
of primate testing.
This week a review of the world's 634 kinds of primates
species was published showing that almost half of them
are being threatened with extinction. This has been
reason for Eurogroup for Animals to write to the Commission
to urge them to hurry up with the publication of their
proposal which has already been delayed for months.
The revision could do much to help reduce the need for
millions of animals being used in tests but in particular
for the 10,000 primates being used each year.
Director Sonja Van Tichelen said: "The capturing,
transport and confinement of wild-caught primates is
extremely stressful for such highly intelligent and
social animals. There is no justification for the use
of wild-caught animals in testing and we would like
to see an EU ban in place as a matter of urgency.
"If the EU is serious about contributing to maintaining
biodiversity, addition to the use of primates in research,
the EU should carefully monitor the import of primates
for other purposes and introduce restrictions in order
to protect wild populations."
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Animal
welfare champion passes away
1 August 08
 A
leading animal welfare supporter has died suddenly after
campaigning for more than 50 years.
Hans-Peter Haering worked tirelessly to make the world
a better place for animals, and served as both director
of the Schweizer Tierschutz STS and president of the
World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA).
His first steps as animal welfare campaigner were taken
in 1956, when he became the secretary of the Basler
Tierschutzvereins and in 1960 he became director of
the Schweitzer Tierschutz STS. Mr Haering joined WSPA
in 1960 and was made president in 1996. His dedicated
work to animal welfare was recognised in 2004 with the
WSPA's Janeth Demoth-Award.
Eurogroup for Animals is sad to hear of his death. WSPA
and the Schweitzer Tierschutz STS are members of Eurogroup,
and through the years there were many opportunities
to campaign together.
Director Sonja Van Tichelen said: "The death of
Hans-Peter Haering is a great loss to the world of animal
welfare, and he will be greatly missed. His work was
an inspiration to everyone who is dedicated to improve
the treatment of animals."
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Call
for ban on cloning following publication
EFSA report
24 July 08
Eurogroup for Animals is calling for the European Commission
to ban the cloning of animals for food immediately after
a report by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
published today outlined grave concerns over its impact
on animal welfare while emphasising there are still
too many uncertainties about the technology.
Eurogroup for Animals, which helped to advise EFSA
on the animal welfare aspects, is now urging the Commission
to ban the trade and import of products from cloned
animals and their offspring once and for all. It is
also encouraging the Commission to listen to the advice
of its own European Group on Ethics which concluded
in January there is no justifiable reason to approve
cloning for food. Cloning is an incredibly wasteful
process with only about five animals out of a 100 being
born alive. The ones who do live die earlier and suffer
from more defects than normal animals.
Sonja Van Tichelen, director of Eurogroup for Animals,
said: "The science is now there. The evidence is
clear: there are problems with it.
"The EU is now obligated to follow its own rules.
Under the general farm directive a breeding technique
that causes suffering should not be allowed. The treaty
protocol on animal welfare says full regards should
be paid to the welfare of animals. In the light of these
legal obligations, it leaves the EU with only one option:
to ban animal cloning for food."
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EU shows
it is serious about animal welfare
with seal trade ban
The European Union today showed it is willing to fight
over animal welfare with a proposed trade ban on seal
products. Following trade bans on cosmetics tested on
animals and cruelly produced fur of cat and dogs, the
European Commission today believes that a trade ban
on animal welfare grounds is an acceptable measure in
terms of world trade rules.
The European Commission today adopted a proposal to
ban the trade and import of seal products throughout
the EU, but included exemptions for countries that can
prove that their seals were killed humanely.
Eurogroup welcomes the proposal as a step in the right
direction, but feels a comprehensive ban is needed to
ensure that countries are not using the loopholes to
continue the cruel seal hunts.
Director Sonja Van Tichelen said: " We see the
proposal as a victory of public moral, the wishes of
citizens over pure trade concerns. We need to have the
right to refuse products on our markets which are produced
with animal suffering.
"We will be calling on the European Parliament
and the member states to strip the proposal of its exemptions
and turn it into something Europeans can be proud of."
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Eurogroup
director honoured with award
 Eurogroup
director Sonja Van Tichelen has been given a prestigious
award in honour of her contribution to animal welfare.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(RSPCA) presented her with the award during its annual
general meeting on 28 June. The British animal welfare
organisation, which is one of the largest in the world,
praised the way Mrs Van Tichelen had transformed Eurogroup
into a modern, well-run organisation, and how her strategic
thinking and organisation skills have led to important
wins for animals such as bans on the battery cage and
an end to the use of veal crates.
Mrs Van Tichelen joined Eurogroup as a campaign coordinator
in 1992. In 1997 she was promoted to deputy director
before becoming director in 2004. Under her leadership,
Eurogroup embarked on an ambitious expansion programme
to represent animal welfare organisations all over the
European Union. It is now the number one organisation
for advising European institutions on animal welfare
issues, while it continues to succeed in getting the
Union to adopt higher legal standards.
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Salmon
report links health to welfare
Good welfare is vital to the health of Atlantic salmon,
according to a new opinion published by the European
Food Safety Authority (EFSA). It was asked by the
European Commission to deliver a scientific opinion
on the animal welfare aspects of husbandry systems for
farmed Atlantic salmon.
The report states that poor welfare makes the fish
more susceptible to diseases, and encourages the adoption
of measures to improve welfare at each stage of the
life cycle. Water quality and stocking density were
cited as factors that are essential to the welfare of
Atlantic salmon.
Eurogroup for Animals welcomes that the report explicitly
links the fish's health to their welfare, and calls
for welfare standards for fish farming to be improved.
Scientific research has shown that fish are capable
of perceiving pain and as such are entitled to being
treated well.
Aquaculture is a rapidly expanding business and 40%
of fish consumed come from fish farms. They are farmed
in a very intensive way, which means a large number
of fish is being kept in a small area. As a result there
are health and welfare problems.
Now that the EU's action plan on sustainable aquaculture
is being revised this autumn, Eurogroup would like to
see the adoption of standards for animal welfare for
farmed fish in line with available scientific studies.
There will be other EFSA scientific opinions coming
up on fish such as trout and sea bass.
To read a CIWF report on the issue, click here.
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Organic
pigs to be anaesthetised before castration
Piglets will need to be anaesthetised before castration
if food products derived from them are to be labelled
as organic. The Commission has included this in the
new organic implementing rules it has agreed, which
are expected to be published before September. Some
member states have asked for a compromise on a transition
period, so the new rules will not enter into force before
1 January 2012.
Eurogroup for Animals has welcomed the news as it believes
animals must be spared any avoidable excitement, pain
or suffering. It also urges the Commission to propose
the measure for all piglets, including those reared
for the non-organic market.
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Paul
McCartney supports demonstrators in call
for ban on trade in seal products
 Rock
legend Paul McCartney joined concerned citizens from
all over Europe in their call for a strong EU ban on
the trade in seal products as they demonstrated outside
the offices of the European Commission in Brussels today.
Organised by the International Fund for Animal Welfare
(IFAW), Humane Society International (HSI), GAIA and
Eurogroup for Animals, the peaceful demonstration attracted
people from across the European Union and beyond, including
countries such as Germany, Slovakia, France, the Netherlands,
Belgium, Hungary, Finland, UK, Sweden, Italy, and Croatia.
The Commission is expected to publish a proposal on
a possible ban soon. The date of the demonstration was
selected to coincide with the start of the French presidency
and the start of the Namibian seal hunt, which is the
second largest one in the world.
Paul McCartney paid tribute to the demonstrators in
a surprise video message shown on a screen. The dedicated
animal welfare supporter said: "Stopping the import
of seal fur into the European Union could really put
an end to this brutality once and for all - please ask
the EU to ban this terrible trade today."
click to
see pictures of the demonstration
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Council
reaches agreement on plant protection
products
The Council of the European Union has reached political
agreement on a regulation about the placing on the market
of plant protection products. Chemicals used to kill
pests and protect plants are tested on animals. This
is why Eurogroup has been working to avoid duplicate
animal testing and promotion of alternative methods
in the revision of the plant protection products legislation.
Once the Council adopts their common position on the
text, the European Parliament will have three months
to adopt their position.
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Commissioner
pledges support to developing
alternatives to animal tests
Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas has committed
to strengthening the role of the European Centre for
the Validation of Alternative Methods to help develop
more alternatives to animal testing. The commissioner
made the pledge while addressing a meeting of the EP
Intergroup on the welfare and conservation of animals
in Strasbourg.
The Commission is currently working on a revision of
the directive on animal experimentation, and Mr Dimas
said he was personally pushing to have the proposal
adopted before the summer break. He added the proposal
would also include new legislation on the use of non-human
primates. MEPs have been calling for their use to be
phased out.
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International
demonstration to call for strong
ban on seal products
 Campaigners
from all over Europe will be travelling to Brussels
on 1 July to demonstrate in support of an unconditional
EU-wide ban on seal products. Organised by IFAW, Humane
Society International (HSI), GAIA and Eurogroup for
Animals, the demonstration will take place outside the
offices of the European Commission, to urge them to
impose a strong ban now.
The demonstration will feature people from all over
the European Union (click
for more information).
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New
annual report has been published
Eurogroup for Animals is proud to present its new annual
report. The report shows the many opportunities there
have been over the past year to put animal welfare on
the top of the political agenda.
With support of our ever growing number of members
societies, we have worked hard to highlight opportunities
to improve animal protection as well as to alert legislators
to dangers of new policy decisions. To download a copy
of the report, click
here.
Eurogroup has also produced a new leaflet to inform
people about what we do. To download a copy of the leaflet,
click
here.
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Dr Jane
Goodall receives European award in
recognition of work
World-renowned primatologist Dr Jane Goodall has received
an award for outstanding service to animal welfare from
Eurogroup for Animals. It is in recognition of her groundbreaking
research on chimpanzees, her dedicated work to protect
them and their habitats, and her continuing campaign
against the use of non-human primates in research and
testing.
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Parliament
calls for more focus on animal
welfare
The European Parliament approved today a report that
asks for less livestock transport and limits on the
size of farms as a way of reducing the risk of animal
diseases spreading. Eurogroup for Animals urges the
European Commission to take up the recommendations of
this report, whose objective is to strengthen the EU
animal health strategy.
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Islamic
leader condemns animal suffering
A prominent Islamic leader has issued a fatwa to condemn
suffering caused by slaughter and the long distance
transport of animals.
Dr Mohamed Sayed Tantawy, the Grand Sheikh of one
of the most respected Islamic Universities in the world,
the Al Ahzar University in Cairo, said in his legal
opinion or fatwa: “We hereby say that the call
of Islam is to be lenient with the animal and to treat
it with mercy, among which is transporting the animal.”
He also added: “The Islamic law has made it a must
that the animal would be treated at the time of its
slaughter with lenience and by the means that guarantee
treating it with mercy.”
The opinion was prompted by a question by the Egyptian
Society of Animal Friends (ESAF), a WSPA member society
in Egypt. The legal opinion has been welcomed by Eurogroup
for Animals, which is dedicated to improving the treatment
of animals.
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Study
calls for end to inhumane practices
Study calls for end to inhumane practices
Intensive farming leads to unacceptable risk to people’s
health, animal’s welfare, and the environment,
according to an independent American study. The Pew
Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production studied
industrial farming in the States for 2.5 years and concluded
drastic changes will need to be made.
One of its recommendations is to phase out inhumane
production practices such as gestation crates and battery
cages within a decade. The current system increases
the risk of animals becoming stressed and ill, and the
risk of diseases spreading from animals to humans. The
report also explicitly links food safety to the health
of the animals producing the food.
Eurogroup for Animals welcomes the independent report
that highlights the pitfalls of modern agriculture and
its attention to animal welfare. Higher welfare standards
would benefit animals and humans alike.
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Call
for seal products ban hits the headlines
A press conference to call for a ban on seal products
across the European Union has made headlines across
the world. The press conference in Brussels was held
on Friday by Eurogroup for Animals, together with member
organisations IFAW, HSI and GAIA to encourage the Commission
to go ahead with the ban.
Reports on the call for a ban appeared in English,
French, German, Spanish and Dutch on about 250 websites
from Australia, to Sri Lanka, Australia, Canada, the
US, Spain, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, France,
and the Netherlands. These included websites by prestigious
publications such as the International Herald Tribune,
the Washington Post, the Globe and Mail, De Morgen,
and Le Figaro. Three television crews were also present
at the press conference to report on it.
Eurogroup welcomes this wide media interest, which
shows people care deeply about a ban on seal products.
It urges the Commission to do the right thing and impose
a ban now.
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news... |
Forum
to discuss benefits animal welfare
Eurogroup for Animals is one of the organisers of the
International Forum on Global Aspects of Farm Animal
Welfare, which is taking place in Brussels on 22-23
April. The forum brings together anyone from farmers,
retailers, politicians, academics, and animal welfare
organisations to discuss the development of standards
for animal welfare on a global scale. Eurogroup members
RSPCA, Compassion in World Farming, and the World Society
for the Protection of Animals are also involved in the
event, as are the European Commission trade and health
and consumers services.
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Retail
project calls attention to free-rangeeggs
Five of Eurogroup’s member organisations have joined
forces to work together on a unique retail project.
Animal welfare organisations Klub Gaja and OTOZ in Poland,
Fauna Society in Hungary, Nadace na Ochranu Zvirat in
the Czech Republic, and Sloboda Zvierat in Slovakia
all surveyed supermarkets in their own country on eggs
from non-caged chickens. Their research revealed that
many supermarkets are still failing to meet increasing
demand for eggs from non factory farmed chickens. In
a survey done by the European Union last year, 59% of
people in Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic
said they would be willing to change their usual place
of shopping in order to buy more animal welfare friendly
products.
This project is the first animal welfare initiative
to be given a grant by the prestigious Visegrad Fund,
which finances joint ventures between the four countries.
They will all be publishing the result of their survey
this month.
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EU rules
no exemption on slaughteringfor
Romania
The European Commission has refused to grant an exemption
on cultural grounds to Romania over the home slaughter
of pigs at Christmas. Many Romanian families kill one
or two pigs in the festive season by slitting the animals'
throats, which contravenes a European directive that
stipulates pigs, sheep and goats should be stunned first
if they are being killed at home for own consumption.
An investigation by Eurogroup for Animals and Vier
Pfoten Romania uncovered that the practice is still
widespread in the country. In reply to a Eurogroup letter
alerting it on this worrying situation, the Commission
admitted that Romania was in breach of European legislation.
The Commission has now told the country to take action.
Eurogroup for Animals believes tradition should never
be used as an excuse to make animals suffer unnecessarily.
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New
commissioner pledges animalwelfare
improvements
New health commissioner Androula Vassiliou has promised
to improve livestock transport as part as part of new
measures to improve animals’ welfare. The former
lawyer, who is following in the footsteps of Markos
Kyprianou, was yesterday questioned by European parliamentarians
to assess her suitability. Vasiliou, who will also be
responsible for animal health and welfare, said she
had watched videos on animal transport which made her
feel ashamed. Her directorate would discuss a new proposal
regarding stocking densities and transport duration.
In her speech Vasiliou also confirmed her commitment
to animal welfare. She said: “I am very concerned
about the decent treatment of animals, and feel there
is a lot of room for improving animal welfare.”
Eurogroup for Animals welcomes this commitment and
looks forward to working with her.
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Decision
to allow hormone-fed beef criticised
Eurogroup for Animals and other NGOs have hit out at
a decision to force hormone-fed beef on consumers in
Europe. The World Trade Organisation ruled this week
that the European Union should lift its ban on the import
of US and Canadian hormone-fed beef or face commercial
sanctions.
The decision has been condemned by Eurogroup, Friends
of the Earth Europe, RSPCA, WSPA and Compassion in World
Farming, as they believe people are entitled to choose
what they eat. Two thirds of consumers admitted to being
concerned about residues in meats from antibiotics or
hormones in a European-wide survey.
Adolfo Sansolini, trade policy advisor for Eurogroup,
said: "The WTO has got to allow its member countries
the freedom to decide how their food is produced. We
are sorry to notice that these non-trade concerns are
still considered just as a trade barrier."
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Seal
hunters under scrutiny
Seal hunters in Canada are having their bloody work
exposed by two of Eurogroup for Animals’ member
organisations. The International Fund for Animal Welfare
(IFAW) and the Humane Society of the United States have
been closely monitoring the hunters with the help of
helicopters and cameras since the hunt started at the
end of last week. Already more than 1,000 animals have
been killed out of the 275,000 allowed by the Canadian
government this year. Footage shot by IFAW shows how
the hunters kill the seals and in one video how a bleeding
seal is being dragged across the ice.
Eurogroup for Animals welcomes this close scrutiny
as it enables people to see for themselves what cruel
actions are behind the trade in seal fur. The Netherlands
and Belgium have already banned the import of seal fur,
and the European Union is currently considering whether
to adopt a European-wide ban.
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Americans
oppose food from cloned animals
The majority of Americans surveyed would not want to
eat food products from cloned animals, according to
a Food and Drug Administration report just published
in the US. Each of the focus groups surveyed for the
report brought up serious health and ethical concerns,
and all of the parents questioned said they would never
give food products from cloned animals to their own
children.
Eurogroup for Animals believes this demonstrates that
cloning for food is unwanted on both sides of the Atlantic,
which is why the EU should ban the practice as well
as the import of food products from cloned animals and
their offspring.
Director Sonja Van Tichelen said: “Consumers in
neither America nor Europe want to have food products
from clones or their offspring, so why introduce it
in the first place?”
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Survey
shows support for grant cuts for farmers
who break rules
Eurogroup for Animals has welcomed a new survey which
shows nearly nine out of ten European citizens support
payments being cut for farmers who ignore animal welfare
standards.
According to a Eurobarometer published today 86% of
respondents believe that a reduction of payments based
on non-compliance with animal welfare standards would
be justified.
The survey was conducted among thousands of people
across the whole of Europe and shows there is support
for a reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. The
European Union is currently reviewing the policy, and
Eurogroup urges politicians to give more money to farmers
who exceed standards for animal welfare. The results
of the new survey demonstrate people care deeply about
how animals are being treated and want to see this reflected
in the grants.
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New
commissioner for animal health
Eurogroup for Animals welcomes the European Union’s
new health commissioner, who will also be responsible
for animal health and welfare.
Androula Vassiliou is taking over from Markos Kyprianou,
who has left the post to become foreign minister in
his native Cyprus. Kyprianou was committed to improving
conditions for animals, and had intended to come with
proposals on livestock transport before the end of his
mandate.
His successor Vassiliou is also from Cyprus, where
she worked as a lawyer and served as a health minister.
She has been very active on human rights and the environment.
She will be formally confirmed during a hearing in Parliament
next month.
Eurogroup is looking forward to working with her and
to discussing ways to improve the treatment of animals.
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Eurogroup
initiates coalition to ban cloning
Eurogroup has brought together a monster coalition of
organisations representing anything from farmers, scientists,
consumers to environmentalists to voice the widespread
concerns about cloning.
The coalition has written an open letter to the European
Commission to call for an immediate ban on the cloning
of animals for food production, and on the import and
sale of imported food products from cloned animals and
their offspring.
Signatories from 20 different organisations point out
that cloning is inefficient, would greatly reduce genetic
diversity within livestock populations, and would encourage
people to view farm animals as commodities rather than
sentient beings.
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MEPs
call for ban on cloning
European parliamentarians are calling for the European
Union to ban cloning of animals for food and any products
derived from their offspring.
Members of the European Parliamentary Intergroup on
Animal Welfare voted in Strasbourg in favour of a motion
for a resolution to be presented to Parliament. The
resolution urges the European Commission to prohibit
cloning of animals for food and any products from cloned
animals and their offspring.
News of the draft motion has been welcomed by animal
welfare organisation Eurogroup for Animals, which provides
the secretariat for the Intergroup and also favours
an immediate ban.
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Action
needed on animal tests
The European Union should look for new initiatives to
speed up the replacement of animal tests with reliable
cruelty-free alternatives, members of European Parliament
will be told.
Together with Jens Holm MEP, Eurogroup for Animals
is co-hosting a hearing on alternatives to animal experiments
at the European Parliament on February 13.
Director Sonja Van Tichelen will use the opportunity
to argue the European Union should come up with a strategy
to start replacing animal tests immediately. Already
animal-free tests have proved to be more effective in
most cases.
Eurogroup urges the Commission to release the New European
legislation replacing the 1986 animal experiments directive
as a matter of urgency.
Other speakers include, Stavros Dimas, European Commissioner
for the Environment, and Neil Parish, president of the
all-party Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation
of Animals.
Progress Without Pain; Alternatives to Animal Experiments.
Wednesday 13 February 5pm – 7pm. European Parliament,
Brussels.
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Calls
to stop the use of animals in shellfish testing
Eurogroup for Animals is calling for an immediate ban
on animals being used to test shellfish for human consumption,
after the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) scientific
panel ruled it was a poor way of spotting potentially
lethal toxins.
The panel analysed the different methods to detect
toxins in shellfish at the request of the European Commission,
and concluded using animals was a flawed method of uncovering
the harmful substances. As a result EFSA is recommending
the European Union to use alternative, animal-friendly
tests instead.
Eurogroup has now written to Markos Kyprianou, Commissioner
for Health at the European Commission, to call for an
immediate end to the ineffectual tests that kill animals
needlessly.
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Call
to stop suffering of pigs slaughtered in
Romania without being stunned
Eurogroup for Animals and Vier Pfoten Romania are calling
for an end to the Romanian practice of slaughtering
pigs at home for Christmas without stunning them first.
Their investigation has uncovered that the cruel practice
is still widespread in the country despite contravening
a European Union directive stating animals must be killed
without unnecessary suffering.
The two groups have now written to Markos Kyprianou,
Commissioner for Health at the European Commission,
to demand action.
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Slovenian
Presidency urged to act on
animals
Eurogroup met with the Slovenian permanent Representation
to discuss what could be done for animals during their
presidency of the European Union. The animal welfare
organisation called for a ban of animal cloning for
food production, asked that laboratory animals are better
protected under European legislation, and urged that
the ban on battery cages for laying hens from 2012 be
kept. The demands and the reasoning behind it were laid
out in a memorandum which was presented to the Slovenians.
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Cloning
for Food Unethical says the EU
Ethics Group
Animal cloning for food supply is unethical, according
to the Opinion of the European Group on Ethics (EGE),
published on 17 January. In the conclusions of its Opinion,
the Group states that it "does not see convincing
arguments to justify the production of food from clones
and their offspring". A few days before, the European
Food Safety Authority had published a draft Opinion
which concluded that "the health and welfare of
a significant proportion of clones has been found to
be adversely affected". Those elements reinforce
Eurogroup's statement that cloning for food is totally
unacceptable on both animal welfare and ethical grounds.
Eurogroup therefore calls on the EU to immediately set
up a ban on production and marketing of food from cloned
animals.
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European
Commission Confirms that Cruel Battery
Cages Must go in 2012
Eurogroup for Animals has welcomed today's statement
by the European Commission that the European Directive
banning the keeping of laying hens in battery cages
for the production of eggs from 2012 will go ahead as
planned.
This follows the adoption of a new report on battery
cages by the Commission and is the only logical conclusion
due to clear scientific evidence showing that hens suffer
in battery cages and consumer rejection of this cruel
production system.
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New
EU Treaty: a Positive Step for Citizens
and
Animals
Today 13 December in Lisbon, EU heads of States and
Governments will sign the new European Union Treaty.
Eurogroup welcomes the integration into the Lisbon Treaty
of the text of the Protocol on protection and welfare
of animals, originally an annex to the Amsterdam Treaty.
According to this article, the EU and its Member States
should pay full regard to the requirements of animal
welfare in formulating and implementing their policies,
notably in the the areas of agriculture and research.
Eurogroup greets this necessary step for better animal
protection in Europe, as well as the other positive
elements included in the new Treaty. They will make
decision-making in the EU clearer and more transparent.
Citizens concerns will be better echoed in the EU, with
increased powers for the European and national parliaments,
and the recognition of citizen’s petitions. Thus,
the EU should better hear the increasing concerns of
its citizens for animal protection.
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A Eurogroup
call to end Piglet Castration
A new Europe-wide survey shows that the majority of
farmers is ignoring the suffering piglet castration
causes and is even unwilling to use pain-relief because
of the extra costs involved. The result of this survey
were presented during the recently-held PIG-CAS stakeholder
conference – an EU-funded project that aims to
collect and evaluate information on different attitudes
to this issue to support future EU policy – in
which Eurogroup participated. Following those findings,
Eurogroup called on European farmers and retailers to
end this practice. If farmers keep on keeping their
eyes closed on the reality on the suffering they inflict,
it is then for retailers to take their responsibilities.
They should follow the exemple of Dutch retailers, who
have decided to stop selling meat from castrated pigs
from January 2009.
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Europe
says no to cat and dog fur
Eurogroup greets the decision made by Member States
in the Agriculture Council to adopt an EU-wide ban on
the trade in cat and dog fur. The ban, which concerns
the placing on the market, the import and the export
of furs from the Felis silvestris and Canis
lupus familiaris species, will apply from 31st December
2008. The EU as a whole joins countries such as Denmark,
France, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden which already
had such a ban. Eurogroup is delighted about this decision
and urges the EU to now equip itself with similar bans
on other types of products derived from animal suffering,
notably a ban on the import of seal products.
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Agricultural
Policy: little scope to improve animal
welfare in Commission Communication
The European Commission Communication on the CAP Health
Check published today (20 Nov) misses the opportunity
to make EU subsidies more animal welfare friendly. Eurogroup
welcomes the proposal to increase the transfer of money
from direct payments to rural development measures but
regrets that its demands for more drastic increase and
an obligation to use part of the funds to improve animal
welfare have not been heard.
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12.1
million lab animals used in the EU
The number of animals used in experiments in the EU
increased from 10.7 million in 2002 to 12.1 million
in 2005, according to the fifth statistical report of
the European Commission published on 8 November. Part
of the increase is due to the inclusion of the 10 new
Member States in the report for the first time, although
the numbers in EU-15 also increased by 3.5%. Eurogroup
believes these statistics show the strong need for all
Member States to focus more on the development and use
of alternative methods and for the European Commission
to speed up the revision of Directive 86/609 which regulates
the use of animals in experiments.
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Successful
vote on Pesticides!
On 23 October, Members of the European Parliament voted
at first reading on amendments to the Commission proposal
on the revision of the Directive concerning the placing
of plant protection products on the market. They overwhelmingly
supported key animal welfare amendments that bring progress
in the areas of obligatory data sharing and inclusion
of non-animal test methods.
Obligatory data sharing should avoid duplication of
animal testing, through the setting up of a central
database. Inclusion of non-animal test methods and ‘Intelligent/integrated’
testing strategies should ensure that the testing data
requirements are defined with an obligation to minimise
animal testing and ensure the application of non-animal
test methods and intelligent testing strategies. The
proposal will be sent to the Council which will have
to adopt its first reading decision before the end of
January.
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New
Publication Urges Retailers to Improve
Animal
Welfare
As top European retailers met in Prague for the CIES
(International Committee of Food Retail Chains) conference
on 11 October, Eurogroup for Animals launched a major
new publication to help retailers understand more about
animal welfare and urge them to adopt more animal-friendly
policies.
The new guide – called “Responsible
Retailing, Putting Animal Welfare at the Heart of Your
Food Products Supply Chain” – was distributed
at the conference in a bid to show retailers that animal
welfare can and should be improved as part of sustainability
development in the supply chain.
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Animal
Cloning for Food Unacceptable for
Eurogroup
Eurogroup for Animals expressed its opposition to cloning
of animals for food production at the occasion of the
Biotechnology Forum Meeting on animal cloning for food
production, held in Brussels in September. This event
took place a few days before the European Group on Ethics
(EGE) roundtable debate on the same subject. Eurogroup
underlined the unacceptability of animal cloning for
food production. It is indeed proved the cloning process
is inefficient. In addition, both the animals used during
the cloning process and the cloned animals endure unnecessary
pain, suffering and distress.
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EU Animal
Health Strategy: missed
opportunity
for Animal Welfare
Much more could have been achieved for animal welfare
through the new animal health strategy launched on 19
September by the European Commission. The initial study,
supporting the strategy, was explicit about the dangers
of poor welfare and animal transport in particular,
to animal health and the spread of diseases. However,
the key strategic position of animal welfare in the
first draft of the strategy has now been eroded, with
most references to animal welfare being simply removed.
Eurogroup regrets that preventive high animal welfare
measures are not anymore part of the strategy.
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Primate
Resolution adopted!
Commission
Action now needed
Eurogroup congratulates the Members of the European
Parliament who supported the Written Declaration on
the use of primates in scientific experiments. This
comes after Eurogroup and its Members have put a lot
of efforts into informing MEPs on the need to end primates
testing. The Declaration has received much more than
the required 393 signatures, showing the European Parliament's
concerns about the issue match the ones of the European
citizens. The Parliament Resolution will now be sent
to the Commission for action. Eurogroup urges the Commission
to include the measures proposed in the Resolution (a
phase-out on the use of Great Apes and wild-caught non-human
primates and a timetable to replace primate use with
alternatives) in the revision of EU Directive 86/609/EEC
on animal experimentation, which is due to be published
any moment now.
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Decisive
Week for the Primates Declaration:
393 Signatures in Sight!
This European Parliament Plenary week will be decisive
for the adoption of the Written Declaration on the use
of Primates in Scientific Experiments. Now that the
symbolic number of 300 signatures has been accomplished
and passed, the required number of 393 signatures is
more than ever reachable. Until the final deadline of
6 September, Eurogroup and some of its members will
be in Strasbourg. They will put all their energy in
urging the remaining Members of the European Parliament
who have not yet signed to give their support to the
declaration.
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European
Commission launches debate on Sustainable
Consumption and Production
In the context of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy,
the Commission is preparing a Communication on how consumption
and production can contribute to achieve sustainable
development. An internet
consultation (deadline 16 September) on this topic
will gather ideas and input from stakeholders. Eurogroup
has written to the Commission signalling the omission
of animal welfare related topics in the Consultation
although the EU
strategy includes the aim of promoting high levels
of animal welfare and health. In a report on
"win-win opportunities", Eurogroup lists
different ways in which high animal welfare standards
can contribute to sustainable development targets.
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World
Congress on Alternatives: more
can be done
From 21 to 25 August, Eurogroup for Animals participated
in the Sixth World Congress on Alternatives and Animal
Use in the Life Sciences, in Tokyo, Japan. This Congress
aimed to provide a global overview on the present status
of the 3Rs (Reduction, Refinement, Replacement) in education,
research and testing. It gathered around 800 people
from animal welfare organisations, industry, government
institutions and academia. During the Congress, Eurogroup
presented the results of a survey on the availability
of public funding for 3R alternatives, conducted in
collaboration with ECOPA (the European Consensus Platform
for 3R Alternatives) and Procter & Gamble. Eurogroup
once again emphasized the need to do more in terms of
availability of public funding for alternatives.
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Recent
case shows another example of animal
mistreatment in transport
A recent inspection report has given yet another example
of the common appalling treatment of animals during
long-distance transport. The inspection has found evidences
that pigs had been transported from the Netherlands
to Spain without a rest stop under a temperature of
37°. The pigs, compressed in an over-crowded lorry,
did not have access to water or food. 13 were found
dead at the end of the journey. Eurogroup for Animals
denounces this glaring case, which is just another proof
that the new EU regulation on live animals transport
is still largely ignored by transporters. Eurogroup
for Animals calls on Member States to urgently ensure
that such infringements to the EU live animal transport
legislation be severely punished.
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Primates
Declaration Reaches 300 Signatures!
Eurogroup for Animals is delighted that the Written
Declaration on the use of Primates in Scientific Experiments
has now been signed by 300 Members of the European Parliament.
This symbolic number means that the decisive target
of 393 signatures, which represents the majority of
the MEPs, is definitely in reach. Only 93 signatures
are still needed before 6 September for the Declaration
to become a formal position of the European Parliament.
Eurogroup believes this would be a clear call on the
Commission to use the current revision of Directive
86/609/EC to phase out the use of all primates in scientific
experiments.
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A new
step towards a cat and dog fur ban
A decisive step has been taken towards establishing
an EU ban on the trade in cat and dog fur. On June 19th,
the European Parliament adopted a report approving a
Regulation which prohibits the placing on the market
and the import and export of cats and dogs furs and
products containing this fur. A compromise was also
reached between the Council, the Commission and the
European Parliament. The ban will come into force on
31 December 2008. Eurogroup welcomes the fact that,
following a lengthy debate, there are only minor exemptions
from the ban and that the definition of cats and dogs
includes feral animals. This ban will contribute to
the relief of the 2 million cats and dogs worldwide
that are killed for fur each year.
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Mixed
results at CITES CoP 14
A number of wild animal species which are currently
traded will be more effectively protected as a result
of decisions taken at the 14th CITES Conference of the
Parties (CoP), which met in The Hague from 3 to 15 June.
The slow loris (a tropical primate heavily used for
the pet trade), sawfishes and the Algerian slender-horned
gazelle will now be listed under Appendix I of the Convention,
which means that they can no longer be traded at all.
The European eel is to be added to Appendix II, which
means that they can only be traded under strict, monitored
conditions. The CoP also took the decision to prohibit
the rearing of tigers for their body parts.
Further good news is a nine-year moratorium on the trade
of elephants or their body parts, including ivory, so
as to allow populations to recover. There will, however,
be a one off sale of registered ivory by four countries
- South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe - which
will be conducted under strict CITES supervision. Whilst
this is a long way from the 20-year moratorium proposed
by Kenya and Mali, it is nevertheless positive that
a consensus was reached between African Range States
which at least recognised the need for a period without
trade.
Unfortunately, the CoP also took decisions detrimental
to wildlife conservation, including the adoption of
a new quota for trade in Ugandan leopard trophies, a
doubling in Mozambique's quota for leopard trophies
and by rejecting proposals to list two shark species
currently threatened by over-fishing.
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Agricultural
Policy: little scope to improve animal
welfare in Commission Communication
The European Commission Communication on the CAP Health
Check published today (20 Nov) misses the opportunity
to make EU subsidies more animal welfare friendly. Eurogroup
welcomes the proposal to increase the transfer of money
from direct payments to rural development measures but
regrets that its demands for more drastic increase and
an obligation to use part of the funds to improve animal
welfare have not been heard.
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12.1
million lab animals used in the EU
The number of animals used in experiments in the EU
increased from 10.7 million in 2002 to 12.1 million
in 2005, according to the fifth statistical report of
the European Commission published on 8 November. Part
of the increase is due to the inclusion of the 10 new
Member States in the report for the first time, although
the numbers in EU-15 also increased by 3.5%. Eurogroup
believes these statistics show the strong need for all
Member States to focus more on the development and use
of alternative methods and for the European Commission
to speed up the revision of Directive 86/609 which regulates
the use of animals in experiments.
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Animal
welfare veal not labelled as veal
At the 11 June Agriculture Council meeting, EU Member
States adopted a Regulation on traceability and labelling
of meat of young bovines. In some languages, including
English, the term ‘veal’ will be reserved
for animals aged less than 8 months, excluding animals
from 8 to 12 months reared under the higher welfare
‘rosé veal’ production system. Eurogroup
regrets that this decision, taken under the pressure
of white veal producers, will not help the consumer
to buy animal welfare friendly veal. From a very early
age, veal calves need fibrous food and additional iron
in their food, and the almost exclusive milk diet of
calves raised to produce 'white veal' makes them anaemic
animals. Eurogroup’s contribution during the consultation
on the definition of the term 'veal calf' has been totally
ignored, as has been the EU obligation to pay full regard
to animal welfare in its agricultural policy.
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Whale
hunting ban confirmed twice at
international level
Two successive attempts by pro-whaling nations to reopen
commercial trade in whale products have failed recently.
On 6 June, Parties to the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES) rejected by 54 votes to 26 a proposal by Japan
to review the population status of all 13 great whale
species protected by CITES. A few days before, the International
Whaling Commission (IWC) had adopted at its annual meeting
a resolution strengthening the 1986 moratorium on commercial
whaling by 37 votes to 4. The IWC also passed a resolution
condemning Japan's abuses of special permit whaling
(the so-called "scientific whaling" program).
This confirms the strong conservation majority at international
level, against repeated attempts by countries such as
Japan, Norway and Iceland to promote whale meat trade.
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CITES
CoP14 discusses trade in endangered
species
The 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP14)
to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) is taking place in
The Hague from 3 to 15 June. The aim of CITES is to
regulate trade in wildlife. The Conference of the Parties
will look at proposals to strengthen or weaken the protection
of a number of wild animal species, such as elephants,
gazelles, leopards, sharks… Together with the Species
Survival Network of which it is a member, Eurogroup
has been participating in consultation meetings on the
EU position on the different proposals for discussion
at the conference. Eurogroup supports SSN views on the
proposals.
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McDonald's
phases out battery eggs
MacDonald's Belgium has announced that it will stop
the use of battery eggs in all its salads. This will
result in some 2 000 laying hens being spared very harsh
conditions which prevent them from expressing their
natural behaviour. Eurogroup would like to congratulate
our Belgian Member Gaia, whose relentless campaign has
led to this success. Gaia officially thanked MacDonald's
on 11 May in one of its Belgian Restaurant. MacDonald's
can now be added to the growing list of Belgian Retailers
and Food Producers which have already phased out the
use of battery cage eggs. Nevertheless, MacDonald's
still has a little way to go, as the chain still uses
battery eggs in its sauces.
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EU
Broiler Directive to provide only
minimum
protection
During the Agriculture Council of 7 May, EU Agriculture
Ministers reached political agreement on the Broiler
Directive. Unfortunately, the version which was agreed
is very weak and will provide only minimum legal protection
to meat chickens. The compromise text, which Member
States will have to implement by 2010, introduces a
maximum stocking density of 33 kg/m², with derogations
allowing under certain conditions a maximum of 39 kg/m²,
and 42 kg/m² where prevailing conditions result
in a low mortality rate. The Directive also sets rules
concerning the animals' drinking facilities, feeding,
litter, ventilation, heating, noise, light, cleanliness
and surgical interventions. Eurogroup successfully fought
to exclude from the text a labelling clause, which would
have designated all chicken meat produced under the
new regulations as being in line with EU animal welfare
standards. Eurogroup is seriously critical of the Directive
which it considers to be far too weak, serving only
as an absolute legal minimum to be considerably strengthened
in years to come.
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Animals
no longer part of the environment according
to Commission Communication on
the 6th Environment Action Programme
Eurogroup for Animals is deeply disappointed that the
Commission has omitted any reference to the protection
of animals in its communication on the mid-term review
of the 6th Environment Action Programme published on
3rd May. The communication makes no mention of future
activities or progress, on those objectives in the 6th
Environment Action Programme which relate to animals,
such as measures to minimise the need for animal testing,
even though the revised Directive on animal experimentation
is due to be published this year.
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New
Written Declaration on ending primate use
in experiments
The European Parliament Declaration urges the Commission,
the Council of Ministers and the Member States to use
the current revision of Directive 86/609/EC to end the
use of apes and wild caught monkeys in scientific experiments.
It also calls for the establishing of a timetable for
replacing the use of all primates in scientific experiments
with alternatives. The Declaration was presented on
23 April and the deadline for signature is 6 September
2007.
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Communication
more important than
labelling
says Eurogroup
At a conference on animal welfare labelling organised
by the German Presidency on 28 March 2007, Eurogroup
stated that an effective communication strategy is needed
to assist consumers as they make their choices. Labelling
is only one element of it and should never be seen as
a replacement of legal standards.
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Commission
to ask for an EFSA report on
seal
hunting
On 15 February, Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas
said the Commission will soon make a legislative proposal
on the seal trade after the release of an independent
study by the European Food Safety Agency. Mr. Dimas
also urged MEPs to lobby their member states to ban
trade of seal products, as it would be then easier for
the EC to take action on a European scale. Mr. Dimas
was speaking at the Plenary Session of the European
Parliament and received unanimous support from MEPs.
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Belgium
bans trade in seal products
On 25 January 2007 the Belgian Parliament voted to
implement a national ban on the import of all seal products,
making Belgium the first nation in the European Union
to do so. Eurogroup would like to congratulate its Belgian
member organisation GAIA for this success!
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Eurogroup
welcomes EU ban on wild birds imports
On 11 January 2007 the European Commission Standing
Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health agreed
on new health rules for the import of wild birds from
1st July 2007. The new rules allow only the import into
the EU of birds bred in captivity in approved establishments
from a selected number of countries.
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EU
citizens want better protection for lab animals
The results of a newly published EU consultation show
wide public support for increased protection of laboratory
animals. Over 80% of the people feel "more should
be done" to improve the poor level of welfare of
the animals and to inform the public on this issue.
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Joint
declaration on animal welfare
At a joint workshop organised in November 2006 by
the CoE, the EU and the OIE, a joint declaration entitled
“Animal Welfare in Europe: achievements and future
prospects” was adopted, which commits to greater
cooperation on all aspects of animal welfare aiming
at bridging the gap between animal welfare legislation
and its practical application.
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Wild
Birds
Eurogroup welcomes the report by EFSA which concludes
that the welfare of birds captured in the wild and imported
into the EU is very poor.
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Spanish
Zoos
Eurogroup is calling on the European Commission to
act against the Spanish authorities for not implementing
the EU zoo Directive.
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A new
look for Eurogroup
Eurogroup for Animals is the new
name of Eurogroup for Animal Welfare.
Over the last 25 years, Eurogroup has been through many
changes: more countries, more animal welfare issues.
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Sustainable
development
References to animal welfare have been included in
the renewed EU Sustainable Development Strategy.
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Animal
Welfare Action Plan
Eurogroup is delighted about overwhelming EP support
for the Animal Welfare Action Plan, with 565 votes in
favour and only 29 against.
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