The Limited Times: ' Labelling for puppies and Kittens - This is wath the EU plans to prevente animal cruelty'

Highlights: The EU Commission is examining an obligation to identify and register young dogs and cats. In the revision of animal welfare law in the Union, the EU is examining corresponding obligations for commercial farms. The obligations would therefore take effect before the animals are handed over. The Commission also took stock of an action launched in July 2022 to tackle illegal trade in cats and dogs in the EU, Switzerland and Norway. "Since its inception, more than four hundred cases have been or are being investigated," says Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides.

The EU Commission plans to introduce new obligations for breeders in the European animal trade. For animal rights activists, this does not go far enough in the fight against animal cruelty.

In view of the sometimes agonizing conditions in the European animal trade, the EU Commission is examining an obligation to identify and register young dogs and cats. In the revision of animal welfare law in the Union, the EU is examining corresponding obligations for commercial farms. That's according to two responses given by Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides on Monday to two parliamentary questions. The obligations would therefore take effect before the animals are handed over.

In doing so, the Commission would comply with a demand made by the German Animal Welfare Association, among others. Authorities such as the police and customs could then determine at any time from which country and from which breeding an animal comes and who has been its owner so far, according to the association's website. The EU authority could also improve cross-border cooperation between authorities in the future.

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This article is IPPEN. MEDIA as part of a cooperation with the Europe.Table Professional Briefing – it was first published by Europe.Table on 22 August 2023.

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400 investigations against lone perpetrators and gangs

The Commission is examining an obligation for member states to comply with standards with their registers for dogs and cats that facilitate data exchange and cooperation within the EU, Kyriakides writes in response to a question from Portuguese MEP Francisco Guerreiro (Greens).

The Commission also took stock of an action launched in July 2022 to tackle illegal trade in cats and dogs in the EU, Switzerland and Norway. "Since its inception, more than four hundred cases have been or are being investigated. The investigations led to the identification of individuals, but also of networks that amount to organized crime," Kyriakides writes to Lithuanian parliamentarian Petras Auštrevičius (Renew).

Dog association calls for mandatory not only for tradesmen

The EU plans do not go far enough for the VDH association, which represents the interests of German dog owners and hobby breeders. "The registration obligation should apply to all breeders, not just commercial ones," said VDH Managing Director Jörg Bartscherer on request. The term is fuzzy in dog breeding. It is regularly suspected that there will be commercial breeding of three or litters per year.

The VDH supports a nationwide or Europe-wide uniform register for young dogs and cats. "If young animals had to be registered, this would put a stop to illegal breeding and prevent a lot of animal misery," said Bartscherer. There is already a registration requirement in most EU countries, but in Germany only in individual federal states. However, these registers are not networked with each other.

An obligation to identify by microchip has so far arisen in Germany almost only when traveling abroad. According to Bartscherer, a register would be even more widely accepted if owners had the opportunity to find their lost animal via the database. Corresponding voluntary initiatives in Germany are Tasso and Findefix. About

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