The admission comes in the Commission’s extensive legislative review published on Tuesday.
Belgium, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) This comes a month before the key upcoming meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP19) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) – held in Panama from 14 – 25 November.
In its review the Commission noted that “there is still a sub-optimal level of welfare of animals in the EU.” In particular, “the current targeted legislation still allows the keeping of animals in cages or other confined housing systems that restrict significantly their movements and hamper their welfare.”
It also said that regarding “the killing of fish, some processes are pointed out to be particularly inhumane. Killing of farmed fish by taking them out of the water takes a long time before fish die and it is frightening and painful to the fish.”
The executive went on to say that 94% of out of the nearly 60 000 respondents to their survey “considered that the export of live animals to non-EU countries for slaughter should be prohibited.”
Reaction to the review was swift with Compassion in World Farming saying it “welcomes” the evaluation, as well as the specific recognition that the EU must end the use of cages for farmed animals, reduce fish pain during slaughter and strengthen the rules on animal transport.
Olga Kikou, Head of Compassion in World Farming EU, said: “The results from the evaluation of the animal welfare laws show, once again, that the EU has a lot of work to do before its animal welfare standards are up to date with the latest science and citizen’s expectations.
“We are thrilled to see that the shift to cage-free farming is once again high on the political agenda, as well as the recognition that the EU needs to protect fish and strengthen the current rules on animal transport. We particularly welcome the acknowledgement that we can’t have sustainable food systems without changing what we eat.”
MEPs, though, want the EU to go further than merely reducing the illegal trade in CITES-listed wildlife species and eliminate it altogether.
This is necessary, MEPs say, because of the threat posed by wildlife trade to individual animals and species, and to human and animal health and the environment.
Earlier this week, Parliament adopted a resolution urging the Commission and Member States to take a stronger stand against illegal wildlife trade and to further protect threatened species.
The pandemic has, it is claimed, brought into focus the risk of animal-to-human zoonotic diseases transmission, which is linked to the global wildlife trade. MEPs emphasise the important role that CITES should play in preventing future pandemics, as the world’s wildlife trade regulator.
The parliamentary text insists that wildlife cybercrime should be given the same level of priority as other forms of cybercrime and the Commission and Member States should make use of new tools introduced by the EU Digital Services Act to address wildlife cybercrime.
On marine species, the Resolution stresses that sharks and rays play a key role in keeping ocean life healthy and recommends strengthening their protection and conservation.
