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Displaying 25 - 48 of 161 Publications

26/10/2022

From stable to fork: EU Horse Meat Imports (updated version)

Equines

Report

Just under 66.1 million horses are recorded as livestock worldwide, with 6.3 million being slaughtered every year. Equine welfare and the traceability and identification of horses has been a topic of heated discussions in the last few years. In 2013, the European Union was shaken by its own horse meat scandal, when supposed beef products sold at retailers turned out to contain horse meat. It led many consumers to question the content of their food. Longer supply chains and more operators are involved in the equine meat industry compared to other categories of meat, which increases risks for consumers and animals.

NGO investigations, EU audits and scandals have all highlighted the need for greater protection of equine welfare in horse meat production, as well as for improved identification and traceability of horses in order to ensure food safety and prevent fraudulent activities.

24/10/2022

The EU must stop imports of kangaroo products

Wildlife

Policy Briefing

The EU is the biggest importer of Australian kangaroo meat and skins, accounting for 65% of this trade. Their meat is sold in European supermarkets or used in pet food and their skin is used for luxury sports equipment such as shoes. Between 2016 and 2019, EU imports of kangaroo skins almost doubled in quantity, and kangaroo meat increased by 11%. The EU has a very important role to play in stopping the cruel and unnecessary commercial hunting of kangaroos in Australia to safeguard this iconic species.

18/10/2022

Equine Chorionic Gonadotropin (eCG) production, import and use in the EU

Equines

Policy Briefing

Equine Chorionic Gonadotropin (eCG), also called Pregnant Mare Serum Gonadotropin (PMSG), is a hormone extracted from the blood of pregnant mares (female horses). It is used to increase and manage fertility in farmed animals such as pigs, sheep, goats and cattle. Mares are kept on premises, called blood farms, where their blood is collected. eCG is produced in the EU, but the vast majority is imported from non-EU countries and used in animal agriculture throughout the EU.

eCG production and use is in breach of EU law and entails serious welfare concerns. As one species of domesticated animal is used to exploit another, eCG perfectly illustrates the vicious circle of animal abuse. Acknowledging these issues, the EU must take the opportunity of the implementation of the new regulation on veterinary medicinal products, and the revision of the EU animal welfare legislation, to end eCG production, use and imports in the EU.

13/10/2022

Five policy priorities for the EU's sustainable food system initiative

Farm Animals

Position Paper

The Framework Sustainable Food System law can, potentially, be the game changer that makes the EU’s agricultural and food sectors positive contributors to fighting climate change and ensuring food security.

The framework law must, therefore, be given the capacity to transform the entire food system to make healthy, sustainable food the central objective of all agri-food policy and legislation.

Eurogroup for Animals has identified five policy priorities that need to be addressed by the framework for the sustainable transformation of the EU’s food system.

12/10/2022

For a revision of the trophy hunting regime in the European Union

Wildlife

Report

In the context of the unprecedented and ongoing biodiversity crisis, trophy hunting puts an additional pressure on populations of threatened species that are already facing a multitude of threats to their survival, including habitat loss and degradation, climate change, wildlife trade, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict.

06/10/2022

Fur Free Europe

Wildlife

Report

Following the European Commission’s commitment to a cage-free future for farming and the move towards a species-specific behaviour approach, the keeping of innately wild animals in confinement simply cannot be legitimised. The clear societal consensus across Europe is that the keeping and killing of animals merely for their fur is unethical – a view reflected both through national prohibitions and the abandonment of fur
products by increasing numbers of retailers.

This report explores why we need to ban fur farming and the placement of farmed fur products on the European market, from a public health, legal, environmental and ethical perspective.

05/10/2022

Laying hens' welfare: Policy recommendations

Farm Animals

Policy Briefing

With this document, we present to the European decision makers a set of policy recommendations for the revision of the legislation applicable to laying hens. The recommendations are either additions or corrections to the existing legislation, as in some cases there is currently no mention of much-needed provisions, and in others, the existing wording on certain issues needs updating according to the available body of science and experience. These recommendations are structured within the framework of the Five Domains model. Our proposed provisions, if well-implemented, will ensure that laying hens will enjoy a good life.

15/09/2022

A sustainable Common Fisheries Policy to meet the EU’s objectives

Aquatic Animals

Policy Briefing

The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) sets the right foundational objectives for the management of fisheries and fish populations in the EU’s waters. Yet, to date, it still ignores fish welfare.

Since Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) requires that fishery policy “pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals” and the current CFP only provides for the conservation of all marine biological resources and the management of fisheries activities, future fisheries policy should explicitly provide for animal welfare.

14/07/2022

On-farm Welfare Standards in Aquaculture

Aquatic Animals

Policy Briefing

A life worth living for fish and other animals in aquaculture systems can be achieved by ensuring the right inputs and monitoring outcomes across the 5 domains. We welcome the option in the Commission’s 2021 Inception Impact Assessment to introduce species-specific requirements for farmed fish.

Here we set out recommendations based on science and existing guidelines that should be implemented as legal standards. Many of these recommendations are applicable across species and are based on current best practices.

This briefing serves as an annex to our White Paper - No Animal Left Behind: The need for a new Kept Animals Regulation.

14/07/2022

Insect farming and sustainable food systems: the precautionary principle

Farm Animals

Report

Ten species of insects are authorised for food or feed in the EU, and the number is likely to grow over the coming years. Insects are seen as a solution to food sustainability both as a replacement feed for animals and as a protein source for humans. However, the situation is not clear-cut. Industrial insect production does not go hand in hand with sustainable food systems.

Taking insect welfare as a starting point, this review highlights that:
1. The EU needs to ensure that insect production does not exacerbate the food-feed competition.
2. Insects used in feed must not slow progress towards the EU’s sustainable food system objectives.
3. The welfare of insects needs to be taken into account as they have behavioural needs and cognitive abilities.
4. Genetic manipulation of insects is part of the business model, it must be approached with caution as it can give rise to new welfare concerns.