Respect for EU animal welfare standards, with reference to the excessive euthanasia of stray animals in Romania

19.8.2024

Priority question for written answer  P-001523/2024
to the Commission
Rule 144
Nicolae Ştefănuță (Verts/ALE)

On 12 August 2024, 60 dogs were brutally put down within the space of an hour at the public animal shelter in Târgu Jiu, Romania. This incident raises serious questions as to whether Romanian and EU rules on animal welfare – and especially the legal conditions applicable to euthanasia – are being respected.

Can the Commission clarify the following points:

• 1.Does the mass euthanasia of these dogs comply with EU standards and does the Commission view such actions as being legal in the light of EU standards?
• 2.What measures does the Commission recommend should be taken to ensure that the euthanasia of animals in the Member States is used only as a last resort, in strict compliance with legal and ethical standards?
• 3.Given that the Regulation on new rules on the welfare of dogs and cats has started on its legislative iter, how does the Commission view the way that EU animal welfare principles are being applied in animal shelters in Romania?

Submitted: 19.8.2024