Francisco Guerreiro MEP questions Commission on promised animal welfare legislation

Strasbourg, October 17, 2023 - Francisco Guerreiro MEP has sent a written priority question to the European Commission, pressing for the new animal welfare legislation promised at the beginning of Ursula von der Leyen's mandate to be presented quickly. More than 50 MEPs supported the initiative.

Read the question below:

As part of the Farm to Fork Strategy, the European Commission (EC) committed to presenting a proposal for revised animal welfare legislation by the end of 2023. In addition, it assured citizens that this revision would include a proposal to ban inhumane and unethical practices of caging animals in agriculture, in response to the demands of at least 1.6 million citizens who signed the “End the Cage Age” European Citizens' Initiative.  The Commission's positive response to the petition has raised hopes among citizens that the EU genuinely listens and wants to act on their concerns. 

However, a recent report in the Financial Times indicated that “three EU officials with knowledge of the matter” said that the Commission had completely abandoned these proposals. This development is worrying and raises questions about the democratic credibility of the EU institutions.
1) Will the Commission actually present new animal welfare legislation and the framework for a sustainable food system by the promised deadline of the end of 2023? Will the Commission include a ban on the caging of animals in agriculture in the context of the promised animal welfare legislation?
2. If the answer is no, is the Commission withdrawing its commitments due to pressure from industry and the upcoming European elections?
3. Does the Commission recognize that by delaying the creation of adequate legislation to protect animal welfare and promote a sustainable food system, the EU is only deepening our ecological crisis?

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