Ozdemir pledges enhanced animal welfare during extended journeys. - Ozdemir aims to enhance animal protection during long-distance journeys.
In the realm of Europe, there's no consistent legislation governing animal transports beyond the European Union's territorial boundaries. The German Ministry of Agriculture is spearheading an individual crusade, aiming to establish minimum animal welfare standards for animal transports from Germany to nations outside the EU. The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture has elucidated the essential aspects of this proposed initiative. As Federal Minister of Agriculture, Cem Özdemir (Greens), expressed, "Since no EU-wide solution is in sight, I've proposed a plan to Brussels to safeguard animals from experiencing undue suffering or a prolonged, agonizing death during prolonged transports outside the EU."
The proposal stipulates that live animal exports should only be permitted if the respective recipient and transit nations agree to uphold specific animal welfare standards. These standards encompass mandatory stops at provisioning centers and considerate handling throughout the entire journey.
Germany's incumbent government won't be able to execute this project before the upcoming election of a new Bundestag. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Agriculture has strategically prepared this solution and submitted it to the EU Commission for review, asserted Özdemir.
Critics argue that the current EU regulations on animal transports, particularly those outside the Union, are insufficient in providing adequate protection to various animal species, such as fish, pets, and equines. Furthermore, the regulations lack provisions for the welfare of animals transported for scientific purposes[1].
The European Commission has put forth an initiative to revise the Transport Regulation, aligning it with the latest scientific evidence, expanding its scope, and making it more enforceable[1]. The primary goal is to better safeguard animal welfare by adhering to the basic principles of reduction, refinement, and replacement of live transport where applicable.
In another effort, the EU's AGRI Committee is contemplating a proposal to set minimum welfare and traceability standards for dogs and cats across Europe. This proposal aims to ensure that these animals are registered, identified, and incorporated into a centralized EU database. Stricter regulations will also apply to breeders and keepers, ban cosmetic surgery, and tighten online trading regulations to combat the illegal puppy trade and other welfare issues[4].
The proposal from Cem Özdemir, as Federal Minister of Agriculture, was submitted to The Commission in Brussels, hoping to improve animal welfare during transports outside the EU's boundaries. Regulations proposed by Germany necessitate that both recipient and transit nations adhere to specific animal welfare standards for live animal exports, including mandatory stops at provisioning centers and humane handling throughout the journey. In light of this, critics advocate for strengthening the current EU regulations on animal transports, especially for species like fish, pets, and equines, which currently lack sufficient protection.
