GERMANY

Özdemir, BMEL: "Stop transports that violate animal welfare and are headed outside the EU"

Animal welfare

Germany submits key points for greater animal welfare when exporting live animals to third countries to the EU Commission. The Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, has presented the EU Commission with key points for a national regulatory proposal to protect animals exported from Germany. This would allow the export of live animals only if the respective third countries (destination countries and transit countries) commit themselves in an agreement to comply with certain animal welfare standards.

Posted on Feb 18 ,00:05

Federal Minister Özdemir said : "A few months ago, an animal transport was held up for weeks at the Bulgarian-Turkish border. Many of us still have the horrific images of the dead pregnant cattle in our minds. We can no longer stand by and watch as animals suffer or die painfully on transports out of the EU, sometimes lasting several days. 

I want animal transport outside the EU that violates animal welfare to be a thing of the past. Transport to third countries should only take place if the protection of the animals is at least comparable to the standard within the EU. I suggest that Brussels tie the export of live animals from Germany to an agreement in which our trading partners commit to complying with clearly defined animal welfare standards. This will put an end to transport that violates animal welfare. 

My ministry has carefully and conscientiously prepared the solution that we have now proposed to Brussels. The premature end of the legislative period must not prevent us from doing everything we can to stop transports to third countries that violate animal welfare. An European regulation, which I have called for many times in Brussels over the past three years, would be best. But urgently needed improvements at EU level are still a long way off, despite urgent appeals from many EU members. This leaves us as member states with no other choice than to prepare everything necessary at national level to stop animal suffering as quickly as possible". 

The proposal provides for the creation of a national regulation that makes the export of certain live animals to third countries dependent on the existence of a bilateral (or multilateral) agreement between the third countries (destination and transit countries) and Germany. In this agreement, the respective third country undertakes to comply with certain animal welfare standards. The regulation is to be implemented at the legislative level. It is to be formulated as a preventive ban with a permit reservation that is linked to the conclusion and compliance with the bilateral (or multilateral) agreement. 

The conclusion of a bilateral or multilateral agreement with third countries should be linked to the following assurances:

• Application of binding minimum animal protection standards (points 1 to 7 below) in the respective third country
• existence of effective state monitoring mechanisms
• Application of animal welfare standards as soon as the animals are on the territory of the third country
• Enabling animal welfare audits by German delegations or commissioned third parties (e.g. certification bodies) in the third country
• Determination of legal consequences in the event of violations (e.g. pausing exports until the identified deficiencies have been remedied) 

Compliance with the following animal welfare standards should be required by the respective third country:

1. Establishment of animal welfare-compliant border procedures for the import of animals
2. Ensuring that animals stay at care stations in accordance with animal welfare
3. Prohibition of the treatment of animals in a way that violates animal welfare after their arrival in a third country
4. Animal welfare standards regarding the keeping of animals
5. Prohibition of practices that violate animal welfare when restraining animals for slaughter or killing
6. Ensuring animal welfare-compliant methods in killing and related activities
7. Ensuring animal welfare-compliant procedures for emergency killing

The key points paper was sent to the EU Commission to obtain an assessment of the feasibility of implementing a corresponding national measure in accordance with EU and WTO law. 

Comments

Similar articles