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Verbatim report of proceedings
Monday, 13 February 2006 - Strasbourg OJ edition

Protection of chickens kept for meat production (debate)
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  Albert Jan Maat (PPE-DE). – (NL) Madam President, I too should like to congratulate the rapporteur on the thoroughness with which he has done his job.

Let there be no doubt about this: the CDA is all for animal welfare and regards it as important. We also welcome the new action programme presented by our Commissioner. That does not, however, take away from the fact that, while it is clear that the European public does not think highly of animal welfare in Europe – God only knows why, though, for Europe does apply the world’s strictest standards – their behaviour as consumers is often very different, and that is where the problem lies.

This means that whilst we can introduce stricter standards in Europe, at the same time we could open the floodgates to imports if they are unrestricted. One could say that we do not make that mistake in the World Trade Organisation and that although Europe tries its hardest, more should be done. We can come to an agreement with regard to imports and import quotas. We can also do a deal with regard to labelling. We can also agree that we in Europe will in any event commit to those who have launched special projects, including the people behind the farmer’s chicken in the Netherlands and the ‘label rouge’ in France. It should be possible to support them by giving them extra incentives, so that consumers will buy their products. The CDA prefers this way of working, because otherwise we will produce yet more European legislation, which consumers may applaud well as citizens, but in respect of which they will display different purchase behaviour the minute they walk into a supermarket.

It is essential that what the public want is also translated into consumer behaviour. That is the very reason we are very critical of this report. We will be voting in favour of Amendment 42, by means of which something will at least be done about imports, and we will also support everything in this report that is related to improved recognisability through meat labelling.

As long as there are no guarantees, though, that imports can be subjected to the same criteria, as long as we are once again putting the European farmer on the back foot and are again making things more difficult for animal welfare in Europe, it will be extremely difficult for us to vote in favour of this report.

 
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