MEPs question Commission on promised animal welfare legislation

Brussels, January 10, 2024 - Several MEPs, including Francisco Guerreiro, have asked the European Commission about the animal welfare legislation that has been promised until 2023.


Read the question below:


Subject: Commission, where is the promised animal welfare legislation?
As part of the Farm to Fork Strategy, the Commission pledged to review EU animal welfare legislation by 2023. It also assured citizens that this review would include a proposal to ban the inhumane and unethical practice of placing animals in cages in agricultural production, in response to the demands of the more than 1.6 million citizens who signed the “End the Cage Age” European citizens' initiative. Given the Commission's positive response to the petition, citizens hoped that the EU had actually listened to their concerns and wanted to respond to them.      
However, the Financial Times reported that three EU officials with knowledge of the matter stated that the Commission had completely dismissed these proposals. This development is worrying, as it raises questions about the democratic credibility of the EU institutions.
(1) Does the Commission intend to present new animal welfare legislation and a framework for a sustainable food system by the promised deadline of the end of 2023? Will this legislation include a ban on caging animals in agricultural production, as promised?
2. If not, is the Commission going back on its commitments due to pressure from the sector and the upcoming elections?
3. Does the Commission recognize that by delaying the adoption of adequate legislation to protect animals and promote a sustainable food system, the EU is only exacerbating the ecological crisis?


Read the Commission's response below:

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