The Parliament is currently discussing the Government's proposal for a new animal welfare law, in which agricultural interest organizations receive an unprecedented special status on animal welfare issues. According to the proposal, they must be involved in the Ministry of Environment and Food's work on animal welfare already in the idea phase - that is, before proposals are presented to the public.

The parliament, citizens, animal welfare organizations and the media will only gain insight afterwards when new proposals have been prepared. In practice, this could also mean that potential improvements in animal welfare can be swept off the table by agriculture and thus never come to the public's notice.

We believe it is putting democracy at risk. We who represent the animals should be involved on an equal footing with those representing the economic interests. Economic considerations must not be weighted more heavily than the interests of those that this law is made to protect - namely the animals.

Animal welfare organizations are helping push the legislators, and in recent years, Denmark has, among other things, introduced a ban on breeding foxes in the fur industry, a ban on long transport of worn and vulnerable lakes, and a ban on clamping pregnant sows in the running department. These are examples of legislation that have made a significant difference to millions of animals.