About: animal welfare
European Parliament approves new committee on live transport of animals
The European Parliament approved the setting up of an Inquiry Committee on live transport on Friday (19 June) with an overwhelming majority of 605 out of 689 MEPs in favour, after audits revealed major problems with the welfare of animals during transport
Gene editing, CAP reform bickering, hospitality sector
Welcome to EURACTIV’s AgriFood Brief, your weekly update on all things Agriculture & Food in the EU. You can subscribe here if you haven’t done so yet. German Green faction pushes for gene editing, overhaul of regulation In an unprecedented...
Lack of skilled workers ‘serious concern’ for pig welfare at slaughter
The European food safety authority (EFSA) has published its latest scientific opinion on the welfare of pigs at slaughter, which found that the majority of hazards identified were due in large part to staff failings.
Farm to Fork strategy softens stance on meat but backs alternative proteins
The EU's pivotal Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy, presented on Wednesday (20 May), softened its stance on meat compared to the previous draft versions but offered staunch support for alternative proteins, which campaigners said was the first step in the right direction.
Farm to Fork leak, circular economy plan and COVID-19
Welcome to EURACTIV’s AgriFood Brief, your weekly update on all things Agriculture & Food in the EU. You can subscribe here if you haven’t done so yet. The latest draft of the Farm to Fork strategy, obtained by EURACTIV, features...
EU’s draft food policy to address livestock farming emissions, animal welfare
The latest draft of the Farm to Fork strategy (F2F), obtained by EURACTIV, features a few notable changes from the previous version, including an emphasis on the possible role of animal farming in the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and on options for animal welfare labelling.
Activists call on Greek government to finally ban ‘donkey-taxis’
Activists are calling for an immediate ban on the practice of using donkeys as “taxis” for tourists in Greece, saying that an awareness campaign will not be sufficient to a stop to the cruel tradition.
MEPs bare teeth at illegal cats and dogs trade
The European Parliament is calling for a halt to the illegal trade in pets to protect animal welfare and public health but also to combat what has become an all too lucrative business. EURACTIV's partner Ouest-France reports.
Welfare of rabbits farmed in Europe not up to scratch, says EFSA
The welfare of adult rabbits kept in conventional cage systems is worse than that of those housed in other systems used in the EU, EFSA has concluded in an extensive study which investigated rabbit welfare in the EU.
Andriukaitis questions live animal transport after Romanian sheep tragedy
EU Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis called on the next EU executive to include animal welfare in the new Green Deal following a tragedy in which almost 15,000 sheep drowned in the Black Sea off Romania's coast.
Fur farmers failures to meet minimum EU animal welfare standards must be investigated
Exposés of animal suffering on EU fur farms repeatedly reveal failures to comply with even the basic animal welfare requirements of Directive 98/58/EC concerning the protection of animals kept for farming purposes, writes Sylwia Spurek.
Green MEP calls for EU action plan on alternatives to animal testing
All initiatives to promote alternatives to animal testing are welcome, but lawmakers should be bolder and impose some mandatory measures as well, Luxembourgish MEP Tilly Metz has said.
EFSA suggests ways to avoid mass suffering of unwanted male chicks
Technology to prevent the necessity of killing surplus or unproductive animals should be encouraged to prevent the unnecessary suffering of male chicks, a new report finds.
Communicating modern animal farming
A communication gap between citizens and farmers in the modern livestock sector is increasingly widening and the general sentiment is shifting from an overall good opinion of those who keep feeding the world toward a negative view on farmers' role in today's society.
German cabinet agrees on plan to ban glyphosate, increase insect protection
The German government wants to protect insects better and completely ban the controversial weedkiller glyphosate by 2023. It also intends to introduce an animal welfare label, and unlock additional funds for CAP measures that are environmentally friendly. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Animal health law: A power tool against illegal puppy trade?
The EU needs around 8 million puppies annually to meet consumer demand - far beyond legitimate breeders’ capacity. As a result, the illegal online puppy trade is booming, and state-of-the-art trafficking networks benefit from a market approximately worth over €1 billion per year, writes Georgia Diamantopoulou.
MEPs want less EU money going to intensive farming
Lawmakers in the European Parliament's environment committee have voted for a reduction in subsidies going to intensive farming under the common agricultural policy as of 2021. EURACTIV France reports.
Big agri-food industry aims to kill ‘End The Cage Age’ initiative
The Big Agri industry has launched a multi-pronged attack on the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) to End The Cage Age – a direct democracy tool that enables European citizens to request an end to the use of cages for farm animals, writes Olga Kikou.
Citizens are fed up with industrial agriculture
Europe's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was a big issue at this year's Green Week in Berlin. With all the billions of euros available, the agro-ecological transition is more than possible, especially if subsidies to agribusiness and factory farms were stopped, write Harriet Bradley and Trees Robijns.
EU Commission defends animal welfare efforts
European actions have had a clear positive impact on animal welfare, according to the European Commission, as part of its reaction to a European Court of Auditors (ECA) report, which questioned the implementation of the second EU Strategy for the Protection and Welfare of Animals.
Czech activists collect signatures for laying off animal cages across Europe
Nearly all rabbits, hens, pigs or quails spend their entire life cramped in breeding cages. A European citizens initiative to improve these living conditions was launched in September and was supported by several NGOs in the Czech Republic. EURACTIV.cz reports.
Pamela Anderson gets behind bars in Paris protest against farm animal abuse
Actress Pamela Anderson joined animal rights campaigners in Paris Wednesday (10 October), posing inside a cage to protest the caging of animals in European farming.
EU farmers: Prevention is better than cure for sustainable livestock
Prevention is far better than cure when it comes to animal diseases and creation of sustainable livestock. Vaccination may play a role in reducing the need for antibiotics, but it needs to be accompanied by other "tools", like education and training, farmer representatives and EU politicians have told EURACTIV.