Animal Welfare: Commission urges 13 Member States to implement ban on laying hen cages

Brussels, 26 January 2012 – Today, the European Commission, via a letter of formal notice requesting for information, called on Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Romania to take action to address deficiencies in the implementation of EU legislation concerning the welfare of animals, and specifically to implement the ban on “un-enriched” cages for laying hens which applied as of 1st January 2012, as laid down by Directive 1999/74/EC.

The political decision for the ban on “un-enriched” cages was taken in 1999.

Member States have had twelve years to ensure a smooth transition to the new system and to implement the Directive. However, so far, and notwithstanding the repeated calls by the Commission, the above mentioned Member States have failed to adequately comply with the EU law.

As from 1 January 2012, Directive 1999/74/EC requires that all laying hens must be kept in “enriched cages” with extra space to nest, scratch and roost, or in alternative systems. According to the Directive, cages can be used only if they provide each hen with at least 750 cm² of cage area, a nest-box, litter, perches and clawshortening devices, allowing the hens to satisfy their biological and behavioral needs.

Full compliance with the requirements of the Directive by Member States is essential. It is clear that Member States who don’t fulfil their legal obligations not only create consequences on animal welfare but can also cause market distortions and unfair competition. Member States who still allow the use of “un-enriched” cages put businesses that invested in complying with the new measures at a disadvantage.

Thus, following today’s action taken by the Commission, the concerned Member States have two months to respond to the letter of formal notice under EU infringement procedures. If they fail to react satisfactorily the Commission will send a “Reasoned Opinion” requesting concerned Member States to take the necessary measures to comply with the Directive within two months.

For more information on the Animal Welfare on the Farm – Laying Hens, please visit: http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/welfare/farm/laying_hens_en.htm  MEMO/11/1216

For more information on the infringement procedure: MEMO/12/42

Contacts :

Frédéric Vincent (+32 2 298 71 66 )

Aikaterini Apostola (+32 2 298 76 24)

Animal Welfare: Commission urges 13 Member States to implement ban on laying hen cages

8hours website

This is one of the largest animal welfare campaigns ever conducted in Europe. It was launched by Animals’ Angels  – an international organisation which has documented hundreds of cases of severe suffering endured by transported animals – together with Danish MEP Dan Jørgensen.

The long duration of the journeys of animals destined for slaughter in the EU often causes them intense suffering, as has been consistently reported over the years by Animals’ Angels investigators.

Current EU legislation makes it possible for animals to be transported for several days, even though it is scientifically proven and acknowledged by the Commission that the suffering of the animals increases with the duration of the journey.
The main piece of European legislation currently regulating live animal transport is EC Regulation 1/2005.

This allows horses, other equines and pigs to be transported for 24 hours, then have a 24-hour rest period and then start again; cattle, sheep and goats can be transported for 14 hours, then a 1-hour rest, then transported for a further 14 hours, then a 24-hour rest and then start again; unweaned calves, lambs, foals and piglets can be transported for 9 hours, then a 1-hour rest, then transported for 9 hours, then a 24-hour rest and then start again.

These cycles can be repeated indefinitely.

The European Parliament demanded a limitation of transport time back in 2001: “The duration of transportation should be limited to a maximum of 8 hours or a distance of 500 km in the case of cattle, horses, sheep and pigs that are not intended for special breeding or sporting purposes.” (Resolution of the European Parliament, adopted on 13 January 2001 in Strasbourg).

“This is a historic moment for all those who care about animals. The call of one million citizens cannot be easily ignored by the EU institutions” – said Christa Blanke, founder and Director of Animals’ Angels. “But this is just a fundamental milestone in a campaign that will end only when long-distance journeys of animals sent for slaughter are banned in the EU.

We have been documenting the suffering caused by animal transports around Europe over many years, and we have seen that all improvements of transport rules are insufficient if long-distance journeys continue to be allowed”.

“In reality what goes on today on the European roads is animal cruelty.

This has to be stopped. The European Commission has so far disregarded the demand for new rules for animal transports. But it will be difficult for the Commission to ignore one million citizens” – said Danish MEP Dan Jørgensen, and adds: “I have made the signal to the responsible commissioner for animal welfare, John Dalli, many times, that the rules for animal transports need to be changed.

Unfortunately he does not see the need to respond properly to this call. But he is wrong, and he should act now. If not he will have to explain to the EU citizens why he insists on letting this cruelty go on”.

The collection of one million signatures from EU citizens is part of a larger campaign calling for a maximum overall 8-hour limit for journeys of animals sent for slaughter. The campaign is also supported by 109 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs)  from 19 member states and all political groups. Furthermore, 119 MEPs have so far signed Written Declaration 49/2011 , tabled in the European Parliament at the end of November, which calls for an 8-hour limit for live animal transports. The Written Declaration will become an official position of the Parliament if it is signed by the majority of Members of the EU Parliament by March 15th 2012.

You can see a recent video of animals being transported from the EU to Turkey here 

News has been published on a number of animal welfare issues, and I was glad to see that the traffic data has shown interest from users around the world .

As we reach the end of 2011, I want to use this space to thank all those who have allowed me to lead the 8hours campaign to coordinate the CAROdog website and related activities, and to be part of the extraordinary adventure of Italian Horse Protection.

Also, I am grateful for the privilege of being included among the speakers at the Cátedra CUMEX in Guadalajara last June.

Latin America’s work for animal welfare is truly amazing, although still goes largely unrecognised outside the continent. 

New updates and projects around AnimalWelfareAndTrade will take shape in 2012.

In the meanwhile, we can get ready to celebrate the million signatures on the 8hours petition that is likely to be reached at the dawn of the new year, and the success of the related Written Declaration, which has seen a great start in the European Parliament.

Thank you all for visiting this website and for your support for the projects highlighted in it.

Regent’s Canal - London, UK, 2011

I am really grateful to those who take the time to write to me.

And now the celebration bit.

Several articles have been uploaded, including updates on the 8hours campaign and the CAROdog initiatives, and items on various animal welfare issues.

The response to these has been very positive.
According to Google Analytics, since 28 May there have been 2,011 visits by 730 visitors from 64 countries, with an average viewing of 3.91 pages per visit and a total of 7,863 page viewings.
On average, each visit has lasted almost 5 minutes.

Italy is the country from which the site has received the most visits, followed by the UK, Brazil, Canada, United States, Colombia, Belgium, Germany, Costa Rica, Mexico, New Zealand, Argentina, Australia, France, Netherlands, Switzerland, Russia, Austria, India, Spain, Peru, Thailand, Malaysia, Sweden, South Africa, Denmark, Indonesia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Serbia, Philippines, Lithuania, Ethiopia, Romania, Greece, South Korea, Bolivia, Chile, Portugal, Poland, China, Norway, Pakistan, Uruguay, Japan, Iceland, Somalia, Hungary, Singapore, Malta, Kenya, Jordan, Jamaica, Finland, Bulgaria, Laos, Czech Republic, Ireland, Ecuador, Turkey, Bangladesh, Taiwan and Egypt.

Many thanks for visiting this website – I hope you are finding it useful and interesting. Any suggestions for ways of improving it are always welcome.

Please carry on visiting AnimalWelfareAndTrade, and you haven’t already done so, why not register to receive information on updates to the website? The newsletter will be brought on in the coming weeks.

168 MPs voted in favour of this law (a majority of 167 was required), 111 voted against it, 14 abstained and 3 did not vote.

The next step is the promulgation of the law by the Romanian president, Traian Basescu.

This law can be challenged in the Constitutional Court of Romania if at least 50 MPs sign a request to that effect.

Under current Romanian law, 30 days after their capture dogs can either be killed, returned to their owners or kept in public shelters. Dogs considered aggressive or dangerous can be killed within three days.

Some catch-neuter-release programmes are conducted by international animal welfare NGOs, but the new law undermines these efforts.

Adoptions are difficult too: dogs can be adopted only if their prospective adopters can demonstrate that they have an adequate living space and financial resources, pay a fee and obtain their neighbours’ approval.

Romanian animal welfare organisation FNPA has launched an international appeal to write to the following Romanian authorities asking for this law to be rejected:

1. Mr. Traian Basescu, President: traianbasescu@presidency.ro – procetatean@presidency.ro
2. Mrs. Elena Udrea, Minister of Regional Development and Tourism: info@mdrt.ro
3. Mr. Augustin Zegrean, President of the Constitutional Court: ccr@ccr.ro
4. Mr. Emil Boc, Prime Minister: drp@gov.ro
5. Mrs. Livia Doina Stanciu, President of The High Court of Cassation and Justice: relatii.publice@scj.ro
6. Prof. Dr. Gheorghe Iancu, People’s Advocate, Romanian Ombudsman Institution: avp@avp.ro

More information is available on the CAROdog website

10 November 2011: This morning the Directorate-General for Health and Consumers (DG SANCO) of the European Commission released its report on the impact of Regulation 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport and on the trade flows of live animals within the enlarged Community. The report is available online on the European Commission website.
In today’s meat trade, the vast majority of animals are slaughtered close to their place of rearing and then transported as carcasses. Nevertheless, huge numbers of farmed animals are still transported alive under unacceptable conditions on European roads, only to be slaughtered on arrival.

The Commission’s report, which was originally expected to be published earlier this year, identifies and analyses many of the shortcomings of the existing Regulation and confirms that ‘severe animal welfare problems during transport persist’. It also includes some of the information provided by animal welfare organisations such as Animals’ Angels, which over many years have carried out regular checks of lorries, markets and operations related to long-distance transport.

Cornwall, UK, 2011

Nevertheless, the report falls short of putting forward the key proposal that would provide a concrete response to the suffering still endured by millions of animals transported on European roads every year: a maximum overall 8-hour limit for all journeys of animals transported for the purpose of being slaughtered.

Around 900,000 Europeans have already signed the online petition on the 8hours website  which calls for an end to long-distance journeys for animals sent for slaughter in the European Union. One million signatures are expected to be presented to the European Commission early next year.

Furthermore, 75 MEPs from 19 Member States and all political groups have already expressed their support  for the campaign. The updated list is online.

This initiative was launched jointly by Animals’ Angels – an international organisation which has documented hundreds of cases of severe suffering endured by transported animals – together with Danish MEP Dan Jørgensen.

The aim of the initiative is to put an end to this additional and totally unnecessary suffering.

Today Animals’ Angels and Deutscher Tierschutzbund have released video footage from an investigation on live animal transports recently carried out in some EU states and Turkey. The images show how after years of attempts by the European institutions to improve transport conditions for animals, journeys over long distances still have terrible consequences.

The video can be watched on YouTube.
‘We welcome the Commission’s report, because it confirms and highlights the limits and insufficiencies of Regulation 1/2005′ said Christa Blanke, Founder and Director of Animals’ Angels. Nevertheless, the report is omitting to propose the key necessary reform to avoid the never-ending repetition of case of intense suffering for the animals: an overall 8-hour limit for all journeys of animals transported for the purpose of being slaughtered’.
The long duration of such journeys often causes the animals intense suffering, as has been consistently reported over the years by Animals’ Angels investigators. Current EU legislation makes it possible for animals to be transported for several days.

‘For over 20 years the European Parliament, and millions of Europeans, have repeatedly asked to establish an 8-hour journey limit from farm to slaughterhouse’ said Danish MEP Dan Jørgensen, co-promoter of the 8hours campaign. ‘With the renewed support of nearly a million citizens and of dozens of colleagues elected in 19 Member States, in the coming weeks we will do our best to ensure a reform of the Regulation and to put an end to the intense suffering of millions of animals in long-distance transports’.

The gathering of signatures for the 8hours petition on the www.8hours.eu website will continue until 5 January 2012. In the coming weeks, a series of initiatives will be launched in the European Parliament.

Further information about this campaign is available on the website.

Please send information or news suggestions for this column to news@animalwelfareandtrade.com