Petition No 0891/2025 by Michèle Hamers (Dutch), on behalf of Animal Advocacy and Protection (AAP), on an EU-wide positive list to regulate the wild animal pet trade

0891/2025

Summary title: Petition No 0891/2025 by Michèle Hamers (Dutch), on behalf of Animal Advocacy and Protection (AAP), on an EU-wide positive list to regulate the wild animal pet trade

Petition number: 0891/2025

Topics: Trade,  Agriculture,  Internal Market,  Animal Welfare,  Health

Country: All EU countries

Name of association: AAP (Animal Advocacy and Protection)

Name: Michèle Hamers

The petitioner calls on the European Union to adopt a binding, EU-wide “Positive List” of animal species that may legally be kept and traded as pets. The goal is to proactively exclude species that pose risks to animal welfare, biodiversity and public health. The petitioner argues that the current fragmented system - where each Member State sets its own rules - is ineffective and undermines enforcement efforts. According to the petitioner, the EU is a major hub for both legal and illegal in wild pet animals trade, which causes suffering to animals, contributes to the spread of zoonotic diseases and harms ecosystems through the introduction of invasive species. Citing rescue centre data, the petitioner highlights the rising number of wild animals requiring care due to poor welfare conditions in private ownership. The petitioner also references the COVID-19 pandemic to underscore the public health risks of wildlife trade and urges the EU to adopt a coherent and preventive approach aligned with the “One Health” concept. The petitioner calls for the “Positive List” to be adopted in the current legislative mandate and financed under the Multiannual Financial Framework.