Brussels proposes measures in favor of farmed animals, but postpones the expected major reform

2023-12-08 07:15:13
A farm of “Ross 308” chickens intended for McDonald’s restaurants, in Forges-de-Lanoué (Morbihan), October 16, 2023. DAMIEN MEYER / AFP

This is the only text to survive the regulatory Big Bang on animal welfare which was planned at European level: Thursday, December 7, the European Commission presented new measures governing the conditions of transport of farmed animals. The revision was long awaited, the current legislation dating from more than twenty years ago, proving obsolete on many points and poorly applied on the ground.

But the three other texts which were to accompany it, on the conditions of treatment of animals on farms, in slaughterhouses, and on labeling, were postponed until after the European elections scheduled for June 2024. Officially, the Commission says continue the work and refine the impact studies. But for NGOs involved in animal protection, the executive missed the opportunity to present a major reform.

However, all the signals seemed green just a few months ago: in May 2020, when announcing its “farm to fork” strategy, a variation for agriculture and food of the Green Deal, the Commission committed to revising all Community rules relating to farmed animals, from their birth to their slaughter. The European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) was asked to produce a body of scientific opinions on the needs of species, concluding that new rules were necessary.

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Change of tone

The European Commission itself had carried out an evaluation of the legislation in force and noted that it was no longer in line with the state of scientific knowledge. And in 2021, after a European citizens’ initiative calling for the end of cages, one of the most popular in the European Union (EU), the executive committed to initiating the transition towards a ban on cages on farms. from 2027.

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But a change of tone took place during 2023. The publication of the first impact studies gave rise to fears about the cost of the transition, reinforced by the inflationary context. The prospect of European elections and the rise of the far right have also brought to the fore new tensions over regulatory constraints and defended agricultural models.

The battle over the nature restoration bill, which sparked tough debates in the European Parliament at the start of the summer, also dissuaded the executive from moving into a new minefield. “The closer we get to the European elections, the more difficult it is to publish such regulations, which affect a huge sector and a variety of very different actors”analyzes Stéphanie Ghislain, public affairs officer for the Eurogroup for Animals platform of organizations.

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