Memorandum by the Royal Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
1. Firstly, the RSPCA would like to thank the
Committee for the opportunity to comment on these important issues.
2. The RSPCA is the world's oldest and largest
animal welfare organisation and takes a keen interest in, and
is actively involved in, European Union issues relating to animal
welfare. We are Members of the Eurogroup for Animals, based in
Brussels, which represents major animal welfare charities and
organisations across the EU.
3. We believe that the EU has a key role to
play in improving welfare standards for animals, and has done
so in recent years. The 2012 ban on battery cages across Europe
is one of the best examples, along with the recently introduced
ban on the import of wild-caught birds.
4. Generally, we believe the proposals in the
new Treaty will improve the workings of the European Union, and
make it more democratically accountable. We would support the
changes set out below.
5. CO-DECISION
6. The Society welcomes the proposals under
the Treaty for the European Parliament to have co-decision as
the default decision making process for agricultural and fisheries
policies.
7. This will bring more openness and accountability
to these decisions, and will enable organisations like the RSPCA
to be able to discuss concerns about proposed legislation in a
more considered and constructive way.
8. ARTICLE 13 TFEU
9. We welcome the proposals to recognise animals
as sentient beings and the reference to animal welfare in this
section of the Treaty. The recognition of animals as sentient
beings was stated in the Amsterdam Treaty and we are pleased to
see it supported again in the new Treaty. We believe that it is
important than animal welfare issues are considered fully when
formulating and implementing any policy in the EU and in individual
Member States, a position echoed by EU citizens, as evidenced
by the results of the Eurobarometer survey of public views on
animal welfare.*
10. BUDGETARY PROVISIONS
11. We support the proposals to abolish the
distinction between the non-compulsory and compulsory expenditure
and to give the decisions on these issues to both the Parliament
and the Council. Again, this is a sensible move to make decision
making more open and accountable.
*Eurobarometer surveys on animal welfare, 2005
and 2007:
http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/welfare/survey/sp—barometer—fa—en.pdf
http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/welfare/euro—barometer25—en.pdf
11 December 2007
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