The European Parliament and the Council of the EU, which represents the member states, reached a preliminary agreement to improve the living conditions of dogs and cats and to limit cruel trade practices. The agreement sets minimum rules for the entire European Union for the first time in history, the EU Council said. The aim is to improve the living conditions of dogs and cats kept by breeders, sales facilities and shelters, while improving consumer protection and fighting illegal trade. The measures are mainly directed against so-called breeding facilities.
The new rules are to identify all dogs and cats, including those that already have owners. However, natural persons do not have to fulfill the obligations specified for the device. The requirements are intended as minimum standards for harmonizing the European Union market. Member States can introduce stricter rules if they wish.
“Animals must be treated properly and not be traded illegally. I am really proud that we have negotiated an agreement – even the first of its kind – which sets stricter rules for the trade in dogs and cats, which allows us to tackle the problems of puppy farming and the illegal trade in animals,” said Danish Agriculture Minister Jacob Jensen, whose country now holds the EU presidency. “We are introducing minimum standards for animal welfare, establishing traceability rules and harmonizing legislation. This is a major European victory and an important step in the right direction for animal welfare in Europe,” he added.
Negotiators agreed that dogs and cats bred in the EU, including those in private ownership, will be microchipped and registered in national databases. Sellers, breeders and shelters will have four years to prepare for the regulation, while for non-selling pet owners, the measure will be mandatory after ten years for dogs and fifteen years for cats.
For example, the new rules state that certain breeding practices such as inbreeding (between parents and offspring, between siblings and half-siblings and between grandparents and grandchildren) are prohibited. Painful mutilations such as ear docking, tail docking or declawing are also prohibited, except when such practices are ordered by a veterinarian. Dogs must also have daily access to an outdoor area or must be walked daily. This applies to dogs older than eight weeks.
“Today we have taken an important step towards introducing real order in the trade in dogs and cats in the EU. Thanks to stricter rules regarding breeding and traceability, it will be much harder for illegal traders to hide,” said the rapporteur of the proposal in the European Parliament, Czech MEP Veronika Vrecionová (ODS) from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group. “We fight against those who see animals as a means of quick profit and create a level playing field for honest breeders. Our message is clear: a pet is a member of the family, not an object or a toy,” she added.
Before its formal adoption and entry into force, the preliminary agreement must be confirmed again by the Council of the EU and the European Parliament.
Citizens of the European Union own over 72 million dogs and over 83 million cats. The trade in dogs and cats has grown considerably in recent years and its annual value is 1.3 billion euros (32.4 billion CZK), the European Commission previously stated. However, the living conditions of animals in professional breeding differ in individual Member States, and information about ill-treatment often appears. The illegal trade in dogs and cats has also soared, helped by a growing internet market that now accounts for 60 percent of all dog and cat sales in the European Union.
