Nov 3rd, 2021
3 mins
The European Commission has published a consultation on revising the EU animal welfare legislation.
In 2020 the Commission started a fitness check of the current rules on the welfare of animals at farm, during transport and at slaughter. This is set to be concluded in 2022 but available information to date points to weaknesses in the design, implementation, compliance and enforcement of the EU animal welfare legislation.
The current rules seem to be outdated considering new science and technology, and the lack of clarity of certain provisions results in divergence across EU Member States. This creates an uneven playing field for EU business operators and poses additional challenges for enforcement by the competent authorities.
In addition, consumers are not properly and clearly informed about the conditions under which animals are kept and are therefore prevented from making informed purchase choices of “animal welfare friendly products”. Several different animal welfare labelling schemes have also emerged, which causes confusion.
This revision therefore aims to ensure a higher level of animal welfare, broaden the scope of the EU animal welfare legislation, align it with the latest scientific evidence and current political priorities as well as citizen’s expectations and make it easier to enforce.
The closing date for feedback is 21st January 2022 (midnight Brussels time)
