Eurogroup welcomes the final phase in the total ban on the sale of cosmetic products which contain ingredients that have been tested on animals which came into force on 11 March 2013.

This is a major step forward for animal welfare and proves that alternatives to animal testing can be developed and used successfully to ensure consumer safety.

Eurogroup will continue to work to ensure that the move away from animal testing continues to develop and that funding and expertise are maintained to increase the number of alternative test methods. We hope that they will spread quickly to other sectors and legislative processes, ultimately ending the need to use animals in research.

To see our full press release, click here

The Transatlantic Animal Welfare Council (TAWC), for which Eurogroup provides the secretariat, was represented at the EU-US High Level Regulation Cooperation Forum that took place in Washington DC on 10-11 April 2013.

The meeting aimed to provide interested stakeholderss - in particular those who submitted comments to the EU and US call for an input on regulatory issues for possible future trade agreement – with an opportunity to present their proposals to promote greater transatlantic regulatory compatibility.

It was also an opportunity for animal welfare organisations attending the meeting to raise several issues that exist in the EU and in the US and put animal welfare considerations on the agenda for the first time.

For more details, click here

The European Parliament, during its March plenary session, failed to outlaw EU subsidies for the export of live cattle to third countries which as a result will continue to see animal welfare problems caused by long distance transport.

We hoped that the European Parliament would have used its vote to send a strong message to the Commission that it needs to act now to stop these payments which promote long-distance transport of animals with the associated welfare problems.

Indeed, while the European Commission announced in 2005 it will stop granting subsidies for the export to third countries of live animals for slaughter, they still remain for pure-bred breeding animals. The Commission also announced at the same time that in line with their commitments at the World Trade Organisation, it would stop granting all export refunds for all live animals by the end of 2013 but they have continued to be used and no phase out looks imminent.

Eurogroup believes this is unacceptable and together with our members and Europe’s citizens, we will continue to fight to ensure that no public money is used to promote the export in live animals.

For full details, click here

Greece and Italy have finally been referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union by the European Commission over the failure to correctly implement Directive 1999/74/EC banning unenriched battery cages.

The battery cage ban is a real improvement for millions of birds and a flagship victory for our journey to a more humane farming sector. It illustrates how we, as consumers and citizens can drive change and proves that production systems which cause animal suffering are not acceptable to us as a society and have no place in today’s EU food production.

Full compliance by all Member States is essential to avoid market distortions and unfair competition. However, Greece and Italy have so far failed, despite repeated calls by the European Commission to address the situation.

To see the European Commission’s press release, click here

The European Parliament’s Environment Committee adopted on 24 April a report by Gaston Franco MEP on the General Union Environment Action Programme to 2020.

The adoption of this report which includes several points supported by Eurogroup and members is a step forward that will result in the improvement of animal welfare as part of enhancing the sustainability of EU agriculture, thereby ensuring better environment protection.

Environment Action Programmes have played an important role in shaping environmental policy over the last 40 years and we hope the General Union programme to 2020 will continue this and ensure animal welfare is fully considered over the coming seven year period.

To see our full press release, click here

A new Commission Regulation that will require from 31 January 2014 animal welfare certifications for any meat imported from third countries to the EU is a welcome step.

The certifications must prove that the meat originates from animals which have been handled in the slaughterhouse in accordance with the requirements of EU legislation, in particular with those laid down in regulation 93/119/EEC on the protection of animals at the time of killing (Chapters ii and III).

Currently, the health certificate accompanying meat consignments is limited and does not refer to animal welfare requirements.
To see text of these new implementing rules, Commission Regulation (EU) No. 191/2013, click here

The European Parliament Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals has made some changes to its structure to honour long-standing Bureau Members and has invited three Intergroup Members to join the Board as Vice-Presidents.

The three new Honorary Presidents Marit Paulsen MEP (ALDE, SE), Elisabeth Jeggle MEP (EPP, DE) and Janusz Wojciechowski MEP (ECR,PL) have been appointed for their outstanding achievements and merits in promoting and supporting animal welfare concerns in the European Union. Together with Carl Schlyter (Greens/EFA, SE) the Intergroup will now have four Honorary Presidents.

David Martin (S&D, UK) has been appointed as Honorary Secretary for his faithful support in promoting the initiatives of the Animal Welfare Intergroup over almost two decades. Anna Rosbach (ECR ,DK), Sidonia Jedrzejewka (EPP, PL) and Pavel Poc (S&D, CZ) have been appointed as new Vice-Presidents. All three have profiled themselves as active and reliable supporters.

For more information about the Animal Welfare Intergroup, go to www.animalwelfareintergroup.eu

Last month, Eurogroup and some of its members participated in two intense weeks of debate and votes at the 16th Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP16).

Overall, the Convention resulted in significant positive successes for many species. Countries have supported stronger protections for over 40 species of turtles, New Zealand green geckos, oceanic whitetip sharks, hammerhead sharks and porbeagle, and manta rays. Several stronger measures to address illegal trade and poaching have also been adopted.

Eurogroup however regrets the failed attempt to put an end to the commercial trade in polar bears despite the concerns raised over unsustainable hunting quotas for some Canadian populations.
Next Conference of Parties of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES CoP17) will be held in South Africa in 2016.

For more details about the Convention, click here

Eurogroup for Animals published an article in the Bridges Trade BioRes Review which shows that the provision on animal welfare in the Chile-EU trade agreement triggered the institutionalization of animal welfare in Chile.

For more details and to see the paper, click here

Eurogroup for Animals released a brief insight into different ways how the EU and Morocco could include animal welfare in their Free Trade Agreement discussions.

Eurogroup for Animals is of the opinion that animal welfare provisions need to be fully integrated in Free Trade Agreements, in order to promote animal welfare in Third Countries and avoid the negative impact of potential trade liberalisation.

Emphasis on market access, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and sustainable development is placed in this briefing, with a specific focus on barbary macaques and tortoises.

To see the briefing, click here