Answer given by Mr Dalli on behalf of the Commission
18.12.2012
On the issues of stray dogs and their protection, the Commission would refer the Honourable Member to its answers to Written Questions E‑3631/2010, E‑6744/2010, E‑7928/2010, E‑4111/2011 and E‑5087/2011[1].
Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)[2] states that:
‘In formulating and implementing the Union's agriculture, fisheries, transport, internal market, research and technological development and space policies, the Union and the Member States shall, since animals are sentient beings, pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals, while respecting the legislative or administrative provisions and customs of the Member States relating in particular to religious rites, cultural traditions and regional heritage’.
The obligation of the Union and the Member States deriving from this article is therefore limited to certain Union policies. The Commission does not see any interaction between the killing of stray dogs and one of the Union's policies listed in Article 13 TFEU.