A3-0003/94

Resolution on the welfare and status of animals in the Community

The European Parliament,

-having regard to the motion for a resolution by Mr Collins on the status of animals in the European Community (B3-1096/92),

-having regard to Petitions Nos. 277/90 and 150/91 on the status of animals in the European Community,

-having regard to the call on all EC Member States 'to formulate proposals for national legislation for the abolition of the use of animals in weapons testing', approved by the European Parliament on 17 February 1989,

-having regard to the call on the Commission 'to formulate a draft framework directive with the aim of ending the use of animals for decorative cosmetic testing', approved by the European Parliament on 17 February 1989,

-having regard to the recent proposal for a Council Directive amending for the sixth time Directive 76/768/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to cosmetic products (COM(90)0488 of 5 February 1991), which reaffirms the substance of Council Directive 87/18/EEC of 18 December 1986 on the harmonization of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the application of the principles of good laboratory practice and the verification of their applications for tests on chemical substances,

-having regard to Council Directive 67/548/EEC of 27 June 1967 on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances, as last amended by Directive 79/831/EEC,

-having regard to the proposal for a Council Regulation on the evaluation and the control of the environmental risks of existing substances (COM(90)0227),

-having regard to Council Directive 79/409/EEC of 2 April 1979 on the conservation of wild birds, as subsequently amended,

-having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3626/82 of 3 December 1982 on the implementation in the Community of the Convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora, as subsequently amended,

-having regard to Council Directive 83/129/EEC of 28 March 1983 concerning the importation into Member States of skins of certain seal pups and products derived therefrom, as subsequently amended,

-having regard to the Convention on the conservation of European wildlife and natural habitats,

-having regard to Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora,

-having regard to the delegation of the power of decision to the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection pursuant to Rule 52 of the Rules of Procedure,

-having regard to Rule 45 of the Rules of Procedure,

-having regard to the report of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection and the opinion of the Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development (A3-0003/94),

A.whereas the Treaty wrongly classifies animals as 'agricultural products',

B.whereas this classification has adversely affected Community legislation in certain cases, in that the aim has sometimes been to adopt satisfying human economic interests at the expense of animal welfare,

C.having regard to the European Parliament's resolution of 12 July 1985, which called on the Commission to 'create a special policy section to deal with animal welfare matters',

D.having regard to the 'Universal Declaration' of the rights of animals issued in Paris on 15 October 1978 under the auspices of UNESCO,

E.in the belief that children at school should be taught respect for the environment and for the animals with which they live,

F.having regard to the proposal for a Council Directive of 31 July 1991 laying down minimum standards for the keeping of animals in zoos (COM(91)0177 - C3-0340/91) and its opinion of 25 June 1993 thereon,

G.having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3254/91 of 4 November 1991 prohibiting the use of leghold traps in the Community and the introduction into the Community of pelts and manufactured goods of certain wild animal species originating in countries which catch them by means of leghold traps or trapping methods which do not meet international humane trapping standards,

H.whereas the rights of animals derive from the most basic and inalienable right to their own genetic identity, which can never be the subject of intellectual property rights,

1.Calls on the Commission to set up its own advisory committee on animal welfare, which should include one representative of animal welfare associations from each Member State;

2.Calls on the Commission systematically to avoid using the term 'products' in all its legislative proposals concerning animals and instead to use the term 'animals' or the specific names of the various species;

3.Welcomes the adoption at the Conference on Political Union at Maastricht of a declaration on the protection of animals, calling for full regard to be paid to the welfare requirements of animals when drafting and implementing Community legislation;

4.Regrets that the Treaty on European Union does not amend the part of the EC Treaty which erroneously classifies animals as 'agricultural products';

5.Calls on the Community to make provision after Union for further amendment of the Treaties to enable animals to be treated as sentient beings; their welfare and legal protection must accordingly be included among the environment policy objectives under Article 130r of the EC Treaty and the factors which the common agricultural policy must take into account under Article 39(2) of the EC Treaty;

6.Calls on all Member States which do not yet have national framework legislation on animal welfare to adopt provisions on the subject as soon as possible and set up within the appropriate ministries suitable departments to work partly in cooperation with the prospective Community veterinary inspectorate provided for in the Regulation on the protection of animals during transport;

7.Calls on the Commission to ensure that this inspectorate is explicitly assigned responsibility for guaranteeing respect for animal welfare requirements throughout the Community and to submit proposals to this end;

8.Calls on the broadcasting corporations and other radio and television organizations to broadcast more programmes which promote knowledge of and respect for animals and the environment and not to broadcast in an uncritical manner events and scenes which violate the dignity of animals;

9.Stresses the urgent need for the adoption of further measures concerning animal transport in particular and calls for such measures to be based on the highest standards of animal welfare and take account of the recommendations of the European Parliament;

10.Repeats its request to be consulted about any Commission proposal pursuant to Article 13 of Directive 91/628/EEC of 19 November 1991 on the protection of animals during transport;

11.Calls on the Commission to ensure that imports of animals or meat from third countries are subject to the same requirements as apply within the Community;

12.Calls on the Commission and Member States to adopt measures to discourage force-feeding of animals throughout EEC territory;

13.Regrets that the Council has not succeeded in identifying adequately the welfare problems associated with intensive livestock farming systems;

14.Regrets that the Commission did not take account of Parliament's opinions regarding minimum standards for the protection of calves and pigs (Directives 91/629/EEC and 91/630/EEC);

15.Calls on the Commission, as an initial step, and at all events well before the 1 October 1997 deadline, to submit the report referred to in Article 6 of Directives 91/629/EEC and 91/630/EEC on the protection of calves and pigs and formally consult Parliament about all subsequent proposals;

16.Calls on the Commission, in its next revision of the Directive on battery hens (86/113/EEC), to include proposals designed to bring about a significant improvement in animal welfare standards for laying hens;

17.Calls on the Commission to launch, as part of its policy, an information campaign aimed at consumers and producers to illustrate the links between animal rights and the interests of consumers and producers;

18.Regrets the Council's decision to adopt the common position on testing of cosmetics without taking account of Parliament's call, supported by the Commission, for experiments on animals to be banned by 1998, and calls on it to do so when adopting the proposal for a directive;

19.Condemns the failure to implement Directive 79/409/EEC fully in some Community Member States, as evidenced by the judgments of the Court of Justice;

20.Calls on the governments of the Member States to adopt national legislation to deal with the problem of stray dogs and safeguard domestic pets;

21.Condemns the use of inhumane methods in the capture, keeping, transport and training of animals for the purposes of entertainment and exhibitions;

22.Calls on the Council to adopt measures in the framework of its Directive on legal protection for biotechnological inventions which prohibit the granting of patents for animals;

23.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments of the Member States.