Motion for a resolution - B8-1280/2015Motion for a resolution
B8-1280/2015

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on a new animal welfare strategy for 2016-2020

24.11.2015 - (2015/2957(RSP))

further to Question for Oral Answer B8-1107/2015
pursuant to Rule 128(5) of the Rules of Procedure

Albert Deß, Michel Dantin, Marijana Petir, Peter Jahr, Angélique Delahaye, Elisabeth Köstinger, Herbert Dorfmann, Norbert Lins, Sofia Ribeiro, Nuno Melo, Jarosław Kalinowski, Czesław Adam Siekierski, Annie Schreijer-Pierik, Mairead McGuinness, Vladimir Urutchev, Daniel Buda, Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso, Anna Maria Corazza Bildt, Norbert Erdős on behalf of the PPE Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-1278/2015

Procedure : 2015/2957(RSP)
Document stages in plenary
Document selected :  
B8-1280/2015
Texts tabled :
B8-1280/2015
Debates :
Texts adopted :

B8-1280/2015

European Parliament resolution on a new animal welfare strategy for 2016-2020

(2015/2957(RSP))

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),

–  having regard to Article 43 of the TFEU on the functioning of the common agricultural policy and the common fisheries policy,

–  having regard to the Commission Communication of 15 February 2012 on the European Union Strategy for the Protection and Welfare of Animals 2012–2015 (COM(2012)0006),

–  having regard to its resolution of 4 July 2012 on the European Union Strategy for the Protection and Welfare of Animals 2012-2015[1],

–  having regard to Rule 128(5) and 123(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas EU legislation in the field of animal welfare contributes to a level playing field within the Union and thereby to a well-functioning internal market;

B.  whereas European citizens have a strong interest in animal welfare and wish to be able to make more informed choices as consumers;

C.  whereas national rules on animal welfare must not be contrary to the principles of the EU single market;

D.  whereas animal welfare is interrelated with animal and public health;

E.  whereas, owing to their complexity and differing interpretations, EU and national rules on animal welfare create legal uncertainty and can put producers in certain Member States at a serious competitive disadvantage;

F.  whereas the level of animal welfare in the Union is one of the highest in the world;

G.  whereas animal welfare should be further improved on the basis of prevailing scientific findings and with due regard for both the animal welfare situation of pets kept by citizens and the efficiency and competitiveness of agricultural livestock husbandry;

H.  whereas a high level of animal welfare is important to ensure sustainability, although it entails investments and additional operating costs that are not distributed proportionately throughout the food chain;

1.  Urges the Commission to implement, without delay, the points outstanding from the European Union Strategy on the Protection and Welfare of Animals 2012 – 2015;

2.  Urges the Commission to draw up a new and ambitious strategy for the protection and welfare of animals for the years 2016-2020 in order to build on the work of the previous Strategy and ensure the continuation of a framework to deliver high animal welfare standards across the Member States;

3.  Recognises the efforts already made by farmers on animal welfare in the various Member States;

4.  Recalls that Parliament has adopted pieces of legislation addressing issues related to animal welfare, in particular the ban on the imports and the commercialisation within the Union of cloned animals and the reform of official controls;

5.  Urges the Commission, where there is clear scientific evidence demonstrating animal welfare problems, to adapt policy instruments or introduce new ones to resolve these problems; asks the Commission to closely monitor the implementation of the EU legislation relating to animal welfare in the Member States;

6.  Expresses its concern about the effective implementation and enforcement of current EU legislation relating to the welfare of animals and stresses that improving enforcement of and compliance with existing legislation should be the key goal with all animal health and welfare rules;

7.  Urges the Commission, at the same time, to be more ambitious in including and prioritising reciprocity of animal welfare standards, as a non-trade concern in its trade policy and when negotiating international trade agreements, and to promote animal welfare in third countries by requiring equivalent welfare standards for imported animals and products accompanied by strict controls;

8.  Underlines the importance of adequate funding for the CAP, as we need a budget that is compatible with the level of our ambitions in order to prevent relocation of production and trade to countries and continents with lower animal welfare standards;

9.  Recalls that there are imbalances in the food chain that place the primary producer at a disadvantage and that this situation limits the scope for animal welfare investments at farm level;

10.  Recalls that producers are overburdened with administrative requirements and that, in the continued search for administrative simplification, this European strategy should not further increase the existing burden; Stresses the need for stability and predictability of investments in the sector, while ensuring fair competition internationally;

11.  Stresses that Article 13 of the TFEU is of general application, horizontal, and as such, is as important as the provisions on agriculture, the environment or consumer protection;

12.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.