Recent answers from the Commission make it clear that it does not wish to propose species-specific legislation on the welfare of dairy cows. The Commission has referred to the protection given to dairy cows by Directive 98/58/EC, which contains general provisions on such protection.
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Has the Commission carried out an analysis of the effectiveness of Directive 98/58/EC in protecting dairy cows from the key welfare problems identified by the European Food Safety Authority in 2009?
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Does the Commission recognise the need to develop a strategy to reverse the increasing industrialisation — in particular the very high milk yields and zero grazing — of EU dairy farming?
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The Commission has referred to the possibility of proposing a new general legislative framework on animal welfare. In what way does it believe that this will address the species-specific welfare problems of the EU dairy sector?