Today the European Parliament's Agricultural Committee adopted proposals for a holistic EU strategy for the protection and welfare of animals in 2012-2015, drafted by ALDE MEP Marit Paulsen (Sweden, Folkpartiet liberalerna).

MEPs are calling for an unambiguous and transparent approach based on scientific evidence to protect the welfare of all animals kept by humans - such as farm animals, zoo animals and pets - and public health while stimulating productivity and competitiveness in Europe's livestock sector.

MEPs recognise the current lack of enforcement and call for new tools for improved implementation of the animal welfare legislation.

In order to simplify complex European and national rules, MEPs support a European Animal Welfare Framework Law to establish common definitions, a principle of duty of care for all animal owners, skills and knowledge requirements and training guidelines, regular reports and updates by Member States on the implementation of animal welfare rules and effective and timely infringement procedures. MEPs also backed the creation of a coordinated European Animal Welfare Network to support information and education campaigns and as well as a scientific evaluation of animal welfare requirements.

Commenting after the votes, Ms Paulsen, who already called for a European Animal Welfare Framework Law in her 2010 report on the Animal Welfare Action Plan 2006-2010, said:

"The current lack of compliance and enforcement of animal welfare rules leads to legal uncertainty, a distortion of competitiveness among producers in Europe and a deception of consumers. That's why it is necessary to introduce legal milestones during the long transitional and implementation periods that will allow the Commission to step in early to ensure full compliance on schedule."

George Lyon MEP (UK, Liberal Democrat), ALDE team leader in the Agriculture Committee who put forward an amendment calling for retailers to stock voluntarily only products that comply with EU animal welfare rules, added:

"The best way to enforce welfare standards is by giving more power to consumers who want and support high animal welfare standards. Retailers who commit themselves via a joint public declaration to only sell products which respect or go beyond EU animal welfare legislation would reap the reward and strongly encourage producers to comply with the rules. This will also be a crucial means to ensure that the directive on the protection of pigs is enforced fully by the beginning of 2013. "

ENDS