AGRIFISH: Member States call for a Fur Free Europe
26 June 2023
Press Release
A majority of Member States called today for a ban on fur farming and asked the European Commission (EC) to examine the possibility of a ban on the placement of farmed fur products on the European market, supporting the recently submitted Fur Free Europe ECI.
During today’s Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH), the Austrian, German and Netherlands delegations submitted an information note, supported by the Belgian, Cyprus, Czech, Estonian, Lithuanian, Luxembourg and Slovak delegations, calling for a ban on fur farming and to examine the possibility of introducing a ban on the sale and marketing of farmed fur products. The paper then received the support of seven other Member States during the meeting.
It’s the second time that the Council expressed its favour for an end to fur farming. Indeed back in 2021, the signatories of another information note called on the EC to take action to permanently end fur farming in the EU based on animal welfare, ethics as well as health risks for humans and animals.
The new call comes just after the formal submission of the successful Fur Free Europe ECI which collected more than 1.5 million validated signatures in less than 10 months.
19 Member States have already totally or partially banned or strictly regulated fur farming, sometimes with phasing-out periods. However, the lack of harmonisation in the EU undermines those very measures: fur farming can be “outsourced” with farms moving to other Member States, as a result, distorting the internal market. Moreover, it’s important not only to ban fur farming but the placement of farmed fur products on the European market, in order to ensure that fur produced under similarly cruel conditions in third countries is not sold within the EU.
The Member States called on the EC to uphold its commitment to pay “full regard to the welfare of animals” in line with Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). The note also refers to the EC’s commitment to end caged farming systems for other animals and how maintaining these systems for fur farms would be incongruous. They emphasised that under no conditions can the welfare of wild animals on fur farms be protected.
The support for a Fur Free Europe is yet again across the board: citizens, scientists and Member States spoke up against this cruel and unnecessary practice. With the constant decline in fur production since the last decade, followed by a sharp decrease due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fur industry has had a low impact in the EU economy, and therefore an economic argument holds no ground. There is no way the EC can ignore such clear calls, now it’s the time to turn them into action and include the bans in the new Kept Animals Regulation.
Import and production of horsemeat under cruel conditions must stop
AWF
Investigation
The latest investigations by the Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF), Animals’ Angels USA and Tierschutzbund Zürich (TSB) reveal the mistreatment of horses slaughtered in Canada and Uruguay for European consumption. Thanks to these investigations, and in collaboration with a coalition of animal protection organisations, we are calling for an end to the import and production of horsemeat derived from cruel treatment.
Horsemeat from Canada
Half of the horses slaughtered in Canada come from the United States. EU meat export rules require American horses to be kept in feedlots for six months before slaughter to gain weight. This results in numerous health problems (painful hooves, metabolic diseases, ect.).
“In the course of our on-site investigations we found on several occasions that horses were limping, suffering from laminitis and had died as a result of their illnesses or injuries,” explains Sabrina Gurtner, project manager at AWF. Mares and stallions are mixed. They also take in pregnant animals. “The chances of foals surviving in the feedlots are slim. We have found foals that were sick in summer and froze to death at birth in winter,” recalls Sabrina Gurtner.
Horsemeat from Uruguay
In a recent two-year investigation by AWF and TSB, conducted in parallel with a pre-announced EU inspection, all three EU-certified slaughterhouses in the country were subject to overt and covert observations before, during and after the EU visit. “Our research shows that the EU audits are manipulated through extensive preparations,” reports Sabrina Gurtner.
What is particularly striking is that only a fraction of the horses are in the slaughterhouse pastures during the audits. “They’re placed in green pastures, sheltered from the weather. But that’s not the reality before and after the inspection visits. Once the inspectors have left, the horses are sent back to dusty, dirty fields, often without roughage and sometimes even without water.” Workers were also observed, beating the horses when the audit was over.
Problem: traceability and food safety
Together with AWF and the other members of the coalition, we condemn the inadequate traceability of horses in meat production abroad. There is no identification system for horses. The last owner, usually the horse dealer, provides information on the medication and origin of the horses he sells to slaughterhouses. “People rely on the honesty of the sellers. This paves the way for systematic fraud and puts EU consumers at risk,” criticises Sabrina Gurtner.
These investigations clearly demonstrate that animal welfare and traceability issues remain unresolved for the import of horsemeat from Uruguay and Canada. We therefore call on the European Commission to stop imports of horsemeat from these countries, as well as from all countries that do not comply with EU requirements.
Huge win! Denmark agrees to phase out fast-growing broiler chickens
The Danish government and key Danish political parties have agreed to phase out the state procurement of fast-growing chickens, and vowed to back a ban on the farming of fast-growing broilers at EU level.
This landmark move will significantly improve the welfare of the nation’s broiler chickens. Fast-growing broilers cannot live a good life, as due to their fast-growing nature, they suffer from a range of problems from the moment they are born – from injuries to lameness and heart issues. For this reason, animal protection NGOs across Europe have been campaigning for years to outlaw fast-growing broiler breeds in the EU’s animal welfare legislation.
Denmark proved to be on the forefront of the fight for better animal protection last week when a new political agreement was announced, with four key points to:
Establish a working group shedding light on animal welfare challenges in relation to the production of broiler chickens in Denmark
Phase out the production of fast-growing broilers at EU level
Campaign under the auspices of the State Animal Welfare Label with effect from 2023. The campaign must contribute to promoting demand for slow-growing broilers
Phase out the Danish government’s procurement of fast-growing broilers.
The working group will prepare a report on the animal welfare standards in Danish broiler production, including the conditions for parent animals. The working group’s report is part of the overall effort to phase-out the production of fast-growing broilers.
It’s particularly notable that the Danish government openly declared their support for a ban at EU level and are actively engaged in achieving it, in recognition of the overwhelming majority of EU citizens who wish animals were better protected in the EU.
The initiative to take decisive action on broiler welfare is part of a larger animal welfare package that will be announced before summer this year, according to the Danish Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Jacob Jensen.
We welcome this initiative together with our Danish member, Dyrenes Beskyttelse, who has been working towards achieving a ban on fast-growing broiler chickens in Denmark for years (press release available here). This move from Denmark proves a strong commitment to animal welfare from Member States, and strengthens the case for ambitious revised animal welfare legislation. Broiler chickens have – deservedly – been taking the spotlight recently, with Animal Equality securing a vote from the PETI Committee last month to keep a petition on outlawing fast-growing broiler chickens open. Read more here.
Broiler chickens: why are these innocent beings suffering by the billions?
It’s a difficult life for broiler chickens in Europe’s farming systems. Not only are these poor birds reared to grow incredibly fast – so they’re ready for slaughter after just six weeks of life – but they’re subjected to painful stunning practices, arduous journeys and awful habitats, too. As one of the most widely farmed and consumed species in Europe, it’s critical the Commission takes their welfare seriously in their ongoing revision to the animal welfare legislation. Billions of lives hang in the balance.
Broiler chickens are incredible animals. They’re clever, have amazing memories, and can form close bonds with their peers. But to see the way they are farmed across Europe, you’d think they were little more than robots – crammed into dark rooms with nothing to do, no room to move, and raised to be slaughtered in just a six-week timeframe.
It’s a shocking lifestyle to imagine… and an even more shocking one to watch up-close.
What are some of the key issues broiler chickens face in Europe’s farming systems?
Around 90% of the EU’s farmed broiler chickens are raised in intensive systems, which are riddled with problems. Here are just a few of the most concerning issues for this species in the sector.
Broiler chickens are being bred to grow too quickly
95% of the broiler chickens currently being reared on factory farms are ‘fast-growing’ breeds, which means they’re bred to grow very quickly and reach slaughter weight in just five to six weeks.
These poor beings cannot live a good life. Due to their fast-growing nature, they’re in constant discomfort, and commonly suffer from problems such as lameness, heart failure, metabolic disorders, and heat stress. These health problems are a direct result of their genetics, which means the only solution is to phase out the farming of fast-growing broiler chicken breeds entirely.
Broiler chickens are rarely given adequate space or access to the outdoors
Most broiler chickens live in horrible confinement. Thousands of birds are routinely crammed into the same small, dark spaces in factory farms, with the European Commission currently allowing stocking densities for up to 42 kg/m2 in its legislation.
The findings of the EFSA scientific opinion on broiler welfare point to the fact that stocking densities over 11 kg/m2 creates significant welfare problems for broiler chickens, with common issues including they’re more likely to contract footpad dermatitis, will have more difficulties with walking, and struggle to express their natural behaviours. Furthermore, high stocking densities cause chickens to suffer from overheating, as well as subject them to unhygienic conditions that are a threat to their health (as they’re surrounded by a much higher volume of litter than if they lived in smaller groups).
The needs and natures of broiler chickens are being ignored
Broiler chickens are feeling, curious and engaged creatures with a range of physical and emotional needs – just like any other sentient being.
However, these needs are far from being met across European factory farms. Billions of broiler chickens live indoors without any form of entertainment (such as perches or straw bales), and with no room to exercise, play or socialise naturally. Because of this, they have almost no opportunities to have positive experiences in their lifetimes.
Broiler chickens are being transported alive by the billions
Did you know that poultry makes up over 90% of live animal transports each year?
Many are broiler chickens, as they are frequently transported across Europe to reach slaughterhouses. Despite the huge number of them being forced to undergo long and arduous journeys annually, poultry is rarely considered in conversations about live animal transport, meaning these birds are suffering in silence.
Broiler chickens are being slaughtered in horrific ways
Industrially farmed broiler chickens are not granted the dignity of a pain-free death. Countless of them are subjected to a cruel and ineffective form of ‘waterbath stunning’ before they are sent to slaughter, where they often killed by having their throats cut – some while still fully conscious:
Clearly, the welfare laws for broiler chickens need to be heavily updated
Broiler chickens are farmed at a gigantic scale across Europe – yet as the above points show, the conditions in which they’re reared are far from acceptable. It’s absolutely critical that the European Commission focuses on this neglected species, and writes strong and robust laws for their welfare as they continue with their revision of the animal welfare legislation.
Emphasising the critical nature of the changes needed, our members have been campaigning for better lives for broiler chickens for years. Over in Sweden in 2022, Djurens Rätt launched an incredibly popular campaign exploring the issues these birds commonly experience:
This campaign won our award for ‘Best Campaign’ at the Eurogroup for Animals Annual General Meeting this year.
Members including Equalia, LAV and Essere Animali have also published several investigations that shine a light on the horrors industrially farmed broiler chickens are exposed to, sparking outrage and signalling a clear need to adapt the Commission’s laws for their welfare – and enforce them across the EU.
This is amazing progress for broiler chickens, but to change their lives at the kind of scale needed across the entirety of Europe, the European Commission must create standards for their welfare that all Member States must follow.
The European Commission must write species-specific legislation for broiler chickens! Do you agree?
Some of the most important changes they should make to the welfare laws for broiler chickens are:
Banning fast-growing broiler breeds
Banning ‘waterbath stunning’
Limiting stocking densities in farming systems following EFSA recommendations
Ensuring they have access to enrichment materials and the outdoors, so they can lead fulfilling lives
Putting measures in place to make sure all welfare laws for broiler chickens are sufficiently enforced across Europe.
It’s time to ring in a brighter era for broiler chickens in the EU and beyond. Are you with us?
We’re working to ensure all kept species are considered by the European Commission in their update to the animal welfare laws! Learn more here.
World Animals Voice 