On 21st April, FVE participated in the European Parliament’s event on ‘Revising EU Rules on the Transport of Animals: Challenges and Perspectives‘. Hosted by MEP Stefan Köhler (EPP, Germany), and organised in conjunction with the European Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FACE) and the European Landowners’ Organisation (ELO). The event brought together EU policymakers, experts and diverse stakeholders.
There was discussion on the breadth of challenges and opportunities in improving animal welfare via revisions to Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005. A key aim of the current proposal is to improve animal welfare standards and improve enforcement.
FVE was clear that the organisation and its members support clear, species-specific and enforceable rules, combined with a risk-based approach for loading as outlined in the joint FVE/EASVO Statement that protects animals while ensuring fair conditions for operators. This event took place only days after a group of over 30 MEPs from across all pro-European political Groups in the European Parliament have addressed a letter to Health and Animal Welfare Commissioner Várhelyi expressing growing concern about the ‘erosion’ of Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). They call on the European Commission to adopt a more systematic, transparent and accountable approach to implementing Article 13. This includes taking full account of scientific evidence, carefully weighing competing considerations, and clearly explaining decisions where animal welfare is not given priority. The letter also specifically calls for the Commissioner to take account of the scientific opinions and recommendations of EFSA and other pertinent bodies, such as the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe. Read the full letter HERE.
