The European Commission is proposing to implement the biggest reform of EU animal welfare rules in 20 years, according to the European Commission’s website on Thursday, December 7.
“The Commission is proposing for the first time new EU rules on the welfare and traceability of dogs and cats bred, kept and sold as pets for economic purposes,” the statement said.
The package includes a revision of the EU’s current rules on animals in transit, which will improve the welfare of the 1.6 billion animals transported to and from the EU each year.
The new rules will establish for the first time common EU standards for the breeding, keeping and treatment of dogs and cats in kennels, pet shops and shelters. The traceability of pets will also be strengthened through mandatory identification and registration in national databases.
Finally, the Commission proposes further steps to implement the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) “Europe without Fur”, which calls for an EU ban on fur farming and the sale of products containing such fur.
