Wildlife
EU Positive List: a proposal to regulate the trade in animals destined for life as a pet
Exotic pets in Europe are not only a mounting concern for animal welfare, public health and safety, and biodiversity conservation, but the patchwork of efforts to regulate the trade in Member States also undermines the internal market. The lack of uniformity in approaches across the Union makes the true extent of trade flows difficult to monitor and the enforcement of the rules that exist next to impossible.
As a solution, this White Paper proposes the establishment of an EU-wide positive list. This list would be elaborated using scientific risk assessments of which species can be considered ‘companion animals’ in full respect of their welfare needs, and their biological and husbandry requirements.
