EU begins consultation on new animal welfare legislation
The European Commission has begun a wide public consultation as part of its efforts to revise animal welfare legislation.As part of its "Farm to fork" strategy, the Commission launched a public consultation on the revision of the animal welfare legislation. The ambition is to present a revised legislative proposal to the Member States and the European Parliament within two years.
Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Security, said: "The well-being of animals is a reference criterion for civilized societies. Sustainable food production could not be realized without taking it into account and that is why it is a pillar of our "Farm to fork" strategy. Our citizens care about animals, and they want the European Union to do more for them. The opinion of citizens is therefore essential when we commit ourselves in the development of future European rules on animal welfare. We will also pay particular attention to what the farmers, the food sector operators, the NGOs and the public authorities will bring us on this subject. Help us build a better future for animals in the EU by actively participating in the consultation."
The consultation, which will last 14 weeks until 21 January 2022, will collect the opinions of the general public and the different actors of the sector on a wide range of subjects. It follows a road map published last summer, which had received nearly a thousand comments. The objective of the planned revision is to ensure a higher level of animal welfare, to align European legislation on the latest scientific evidence, to expand its scope and make it easier to implement it.