Date of release : 14-04-2005

Policy area : Agriculture and Fisheries Agriculture and Fisheries

Event : Plenary session of the European Parliament

Octavie Modert, Secretary of State for Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development, was in Strasbourg on Wednesday, 13 April 2005 to set out the priorities of the Luxembourg Presidency in terms of animal welfare before the Joint European Parliament Group.

The Secretary of State emphasised "the importance the current Presidency ascribes to this dossier."

A more thorough implementation of preventive methods and health regulations in the battle against animal illnesses marks a change of direction in the field of animal welfare. The Luxembourg Presidency supports and is actively engaged in this approach.  Therefore, in relation to discussions on BSE, the Presidency favours European Commission proposals to reduce the culling of livestock, taking into account the latest scientific knowledge and experience acquired in this field.  Similarly, in the event of a health crisis, it is appropriate to give greater importance to vaccinations rather than large-scale culling.  Here, the Secretary of State is referring to the example of "avian influenza".

Octavie Modert also emphasised recent changes in the exporting of live animals, which must now comply with animal welfare criteria, checked both when the animals exit the EU and in third countries. Regarding the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Secretary of State aims to ensure that measures concerning the issue of overall animal welfare are considered.

The topic of laboratory animals is also one of the Luxembourg Presidency’s priorities.  In her capacity as Secretary of State for Research, Octavie Modert pointed out "that it is essential for the Community to continue and increase its efforts and that it must take the necessary measures to promote research and development into new alternative methods to to the benefit of laboratory animals." Alternative methods should also be developed within REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals, and restrictions applicable to these substances), and within the 7^th Framework Programme for Research and Development, which has just been launched by the Commission.

Trade in wild animals is another topic concerning animal welfare.  In discussions on regulations for implementing the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the European Commission came out against a total ban on the importing of birds captured in the wild.  The Presidency opposes this view and has positioned itself “in favour of a maximum reduction in the importing of birds captured in the wild.