This is the conclusion of the animal welfare conference held today in Brussels within the course of the German Council Presidency and in cooperation with the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the EU Commission. The conference started an open discussion with the operators in the food chain, consumer and animal welfare associations and representatives of the scientific community and authorities. Already existing and well-known labelling systems, e.g. for the labelling of eggs and organic farming methods were presented at the conference and their pros and cons were discussed.
“Our aim is to improve animal welfare and to establish a labelling system that is easy to understand for consumers. This must happen without creating new bureaucratic burdens. Ranging from milk via eggs to meat, this labelling system could play a decisive role in supporting consumers in their buying decisions", Horst Seehofer, the German Federal Minister of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection emphasised today in Brussels.
Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said: "The latest Eurobarometer survey showed that 62% of Europeans are ready to change their shopping habits to buy animal welfare friendly food. Yet the same also survey revealed that 54% have difficulty finding proper information on the animal welfare labelling standards applied in producing food. I am convinced that good animal welfare offers a competitive advantage for European producers, and the Commission is ready and willing to help them to take advantage of this by improved labelling. The Commission is closely studying the options for promoting animal welfare through labelling, and today's conference has generated many ideas which we will consider as we proceed."
Alexander Graf von Schwerin, EESC Vice-President, underlined that the EU public is increasingly alive to animal welfare concerns and that the EESC, as representative of organised civil society, clearly has a responsibility to promote initiatives in this field, including the promotion of animal welfare issues outside the EU in order to avoid undermining the European system by cheap imports.
The possibilities and limits of a labelling system indicating animal welfare-friendly husbandry conditions were presented at the conference and examined from different angles. Taking into account aspects of both profitability and animal protection, the welfare of animals can be improved.
Following this first international discussion forum it can be stated that there are possibilities, both within the internal market but also at international level, to improve animal welfare by labelling products of animal origin according to the respective husbandry system in which the animals have been reared. The prerequisite for this are uniform criteria which are to be established.
The discussion took place on the premises of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). In the run-up to the conference, the EESC had already prepared an exhaustive statement on the issue of animal welfare labelling, which is available at www.bmelv.de.
With more than 270 participants, the conference was fully booked.
