This meeting discussed a number of issues that affect animal welfare including the report of the EU-US High Level Working Group for Jobs and Growth, US citizens’ attitude towards trade and the EU/US relationship on World Trade Organisation’s sanitary and phytosanitary measures.

• Caroline Smith DeWaal, Director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, US co-chair of the Food Policy Committee of the Trans-Atlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD);
• Professor Thomas Hartung of John Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health and Director of the Centre for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT).
• Carlos Alvarez-Antolinez, Minister-Counsellor, Food Safety, Health & Consumer Affairs Section of the EU Delegation to the USA;
• David Weiner, Deputy Assistant US Trade representative for Europe, Office of the US Trade Representative.

“This meeting is a major step forward for animal welfare and allows us to discuss and act upon the real issues related to international trade with those actively involved in both the EU and the US,” said Cindy Milburn, Chair of the Trans-Atlantic Animal Welfare Council.

“The purpose of the Council is to optimize our resources by sharing knowledge, expertise and experiences on animal welfare and to call on the US and EU governments to integrate animal welfare in their bilateral and multilateral trade agreements,” added Cédric Cabanne, Secretariat of the Council.