A billboard campaign has been launched in the heart of Brussels’ EU quarter, urging the European Commission to fulfil its promises on the animal welfare legislation, now overdue by a year.
The European Commission had committed to a comprehensive overhaul of animal welfare legislation by October 2023. However, a full year has passed without the promised proposals for kept animals and slaughter being unveiled.
Countless animals continue to suffer in factory farms across the EU under outdated and inadequate laws that fail to protect them or meet their most basic needs.
As part of our No Animal Left Behind campaign, Eurogroup for Animals placed 40 billboards across 17 metro stations in the EU capital to send a strong message to the European Commission: citizens are still waiting for meaningful legislative change for the animals.
Despite the delayed proposals, it was promising to see consensus by all stakeholders of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture on the urgent need for a revision of EU animal welfare legislation by 2026 and a phase-out of cage systems. In a historic move, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also announced the creation of the role of Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare. This new role will ensure animals have more representation on the political stage.
Next steps will see candidates for the Commissioner roles face hearings in the European Parliament in November 2024, where their priorities and plans will be scrutinised. Finding the right candidate is crucial to keep animal welfare legislation a top priority in the next legislative term.
Regards Mark – PS They always were bloody useless !
He realised the only thing I couldn’t say no to was giving all the money away to animal rights organisations. The irony is the only way to get me on tour is to make sure I don’t make a penny from it.
Moby’s passion for animal rights is no secret as the star has even brand himself with his beliefs through tattoos.
His boldest are two arm tattoos which he debuted in 2019 and read ‘Animal Rights’, one word on each arm in thick black ink.
Sir Brian May, Queen Rock Band lead guitarist, co founder of animal welfare organisation ‘Save Me’, https://savemetrust.co.uk/ and a Doctor of Astrophysics, has resigned as Vice President of the RSPCA after 11 years as he considers the farm assured scheme as promoted by the RSPCA is in fact, anything but.
Almost 4,000 farms are certified RSPCA Assured, which indicates that their meat, fish, eggs and dairy products have been produced to strict standards which exceed the UK’s legal requirements.
Here Brian plays lead guitar – the singer is the brilliant Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant – or ‘Planty’; This event took place at Wembley Stadium, LONDON on Easter Monday, 20th April 1992 for a Freddie Mercury (Queen vocalist) tribute concert.
As animal campaigners, we can all appreciate how very difficult it must be to pack up and walk away from a positions such as this. The RSPCA are a fantastic charity who get NO funding from the government – they live solely through donations and legacies such as funds left by the public in personal Wills.
Regardless of this particular issue, I do, and will continue to give a small monthly donation to the RSPCA – why ? – because I have full respect and support for all the wonderful works they do in other areas; rescuing animals from suffering and harm; campaigning against animal cruelty, undercover work in dog fighting for example. Like Brian, I have very serious concerns about their farm assured labelling; and serious concerns anyway about all animals kept under the ‘farming’ umbrella; but this does not automatically stop me making a monthly donation. For many now, times have gotten that bit harder financially, and all charities are grateful for any support given to them.
So, they still get a little support from me regardless of how I feel specifically about the farm assured labelling. Policy can and is already underway to be changed in this area; animal cruelty does not stop overnight, so for me and the RSPCA, it is because of their other work that I still support.
Sadly, the farm assured scheme has been questioned for many years by us in the AR camp; but I am now pleased to see Bri put his words into actions; and for this I support him 110%. In 2023, Chris Packham, known to many UK viewers for he BBC Watch series – Springwatch, Autumnwatch etc became the President the the RSPCA. Chris is also a massive AW person and is Patron of many fine UK animal organisations, such as World Land, Animal Aid and Compassion In World Farming. I understand that for years Chris has been saying that the RSPCA farm assured scheme must be scrapped; but I suggest that some others in the organisations fight to keep the scheme going.
So back to Brian – Fully respected and understood reason why you decided to leave as VP. Hopefully the RSPCA will review their farm assured policies and as such, will bring back to the British Public the respect they deserve when they see the sticky label on food in their local supermarkets. A label which should mean that their food products are produced to the highest animal welfare standards.
Most Brits care a lot about animal welfare – I know cos I am one of them ! As a consequence they have a right to know that what the food label says in what they as consumers get; a guarantee that the labelling means that their food is produced to the highest standards and that NO cruelty takes place when to comes to animals raised.
We now wait to hear what the RSPCA is going to do.
In he meantime, well done Sir Brian for speaking out; full respect for this and all your badger work.
Bad news: Member States propose to downgrade the protection status of the wolf, against science and public opinion
25 September 2024
Press Release
Wolves are likely to no longer be strictly protected as the Council of the European Union has adopted the proposal by the European Commission (EC) to request a downgrade of their protection status under the Bern Convention. This move seriously jeopardises the conservation efforts of the past decade and prioritises politics over science and data, while sending a dramatic message on the future of co-existence.
In December 2023, the EC published a proposal to downgrade the strict protection of wolves at international level, in a move that has been considered widely political. Now that Member States have voted in favour of a downgrade, the proposal must be endorsed formally at ministerial level, in time for the request to be presented and voted upon at the next Standing Committee meeting of the Bern Convention in December. If adopted, this could be translated in the EU under the Habitats Directive, giving flexibility to Member States to authorise the unnecessary culling of these majestic animals.
In the past decade, the EU has invested significant resources towards the recovery of wolves, resulting in an increase of 25% in population. Yet, populations have not yet reached a favourable conservation status and the proposal to downgrade their protection seriously jeopardises conservation efforts.
Hundreds of civil society organisations have urged the EU to strengthen the protection of wolves, not reduce it, as wolves are apex predators vital in ecosystem stability, and in the current global biodiversity crisis, their role cannot be compromised. The protection of wolves is also supported by the general public as 68% of inhabitants of rural areas state that the wolf should remain strictly protected. Over 300,000 citizens have also called for wolves to remain strictly protected.
The EU has funded innovative projects across Europe that have proven co-existence is possible and attacks on livestocks can be significantly reduced with preventive measures. The EC admitted, in its in-depth analysis, that culling is not a solution to protect farmed animals from depredation contrary to coexistence measures. It is therefore alarming to see that the EU, instead of further promoting and supporting such efforts, has opted to downgrade the protection status, giving way to unnecessary suffering.
Wolves are our allies, not our enemies and it is crucial to protect them. Member States are dangerously failing their mission to protect wild animals and our shared ecosystem. This is a very outrageous move and shows that Member States are ignoring their citizens’ calls and science. Facilitating culling sends a dramatic message on the future of conservation and coexistence. We urge the other parties to the Bern Convention to reject this proposal and protect wild animals in the EU and beyond and continue to champion biodiversity protection at the global level.
Léa Badoz, Wildlife Programme Officer, Eurogroup for Animals.
300+ civil society groups urge EU to strengthen wolf protection, not weaken it
19 September 2024
The coalition is calling for a new proposal to downgrade the protection of wolves to be rejected, as well as for increased efforts to promote coexistence with large carnivores, and to safeguard decades of conservation success.
A large coalition of civil society and animal welfare organisations is calling on EU Member States to reject the European Commission’s proposal to downgrade wolf protection under the Bern Convention. Their status would be lowered from ‘strictly protected’ to ‘protected’, if the Member States approve the change.
It’s speculated that the change is politically motivated, whilst any change to conservation status of wolves should be justified by rigorous scientific data.
Peaceful coexistence with large carnivores is possible. Raising awareness amongst citizens is key, by providing science-based education on the ecological and socio-economic benefits of wolves. We can also strengthen preventive measures such as the use of fences and sheepdogs and make them more accessible to farmers.
Proper protection of wolves should also be enforced, ensuring that illegal wolf hunting is eradicated and the EU’s Habitats Directive is upheld. This would support efforts made for the recovery of wolf populations in the EU, allowing them their natural place in European ecosystems.
The EU’s inhabitants of rural areas have also highlighted their broad support to protecting wolves and large carnivores: in a recent survey among 10,000 Europeans in 10 Member States, 68% stated that wolves should be strictly protected and 72% agreed that they have a right to co-exist.
According to media reports, there has been a lot of political pressure on Member States to accept the European Commission’s unscientific and politically motivated proposal. Wolves must remain strictly protected – not just for the sake of the species and science, but for the health of our ecosystems and the credibility of the European Union. If the EU wants to be a trusted ally of nature and a global leader, we must set the right example now.
The bearskin hats worn by soldiers outside Buckingham Palace now cost more than £2,000 each, new figures show.
Animal rights activists trying to get real fur out of the bearskin caps worn by King’s Guards took aim at the cost of the ceremonial garb.
The price of the caps soared 30% in a year to more than £2,000 pounds apiece for the hats made of black bear fur, the Ministry of Defense said in response to a freedom of information request by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
World Animals Voice 