Member states agree on EU-wide rules for the welfare of cats and dogs

4 months ago 20

EU countries reached a common position on the bloc’s first legislation for the welfare of cats and dogs, on Wednesday (26 June).

The European Commission proposed in December 2023, for the first time minimum standards for cats and dogs kept by breeders, selling establishments, and shelters to harmonise welfare requirements across Europe.

The cats and dogs regulation and the new legislation to improve the welfare of livestock during transport, are the only proposals of a planned overhaul of EU rules on animal welfare released during the 2019-2024 mandate.

“Very many Europeans have a big heart for animals, and this negotiating mandate clearly shows that,” said the Flemish Minister for Education, Sport, and Animal Welfare Ben Weyts in a press release.

“We are now laying a good foundation to further develop an animal policy at the European level in the coming years,” he added.

The Commission’s proposal, endorsed by ministers at the Council, would require all cats and dogs to be microchipped and registered on a national database, before being sold or donated.

But the NGO Four Paws said all cats and dogs should be chipped—not only those changing owners. They pointed out that this exemption could continue to fuel the illegal pet trade.

“Excluding animals that that may not be in establishments (…), which are most cats and dogs, that are strays or private pets, from the scope of the regulation will allow the current loopholes, fraud and market distortion to perpetuate,” said Georgia Diamantopoulou, coordinator at Four Paws, in a press release.

Member states also proposed to ban the crossbreeding of cats and dogs with wild species, like wolfdog breeds, and to exclude animals with “extreme traits” from breeding.

The European Parliament still needs to adopt their position on the draft legislation. Four Paws hopes it would take a more ambitious approach, as reflected in previous parliament resolutions.

The Parliament’s Agriculture (AGRI) committee will take the lead on this file, with Czechia’s Veronika Vrecionová (ECR) – who has been re-elected for the 2024-2029 term – as rapporteur.

[Edited by Angelo Di Mambro and Rajnish Singh]