Germany Looking to Review Animal Welfare Standards

By CnAgri2012-07-31 19:14:43 Print

The German Parliament has reached cross party agreement to boost animal welfare regulations. The government is to add supplement to Article 20a of the welfare law on the tenth anniversary of the constitutional amendment.

Federal Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner told a symposium in Bonn last week: "This decision is an important signal to legislature, executives and judiciary. The protection of animals has been greatly upgraded."

She said that Germany has high standards compared to other European animal welfare standards and it could be proud of its science-based approach as well as the approach of its farmers.

She added that in the area of animal welfare special attention had been paid to animal husbandry.

Minister Aigner said there will be a broad public debate on the issue because for the regulations to be successful they needed consumer acceptance.

The discussion process, which is in the "Charter for Agriculture and Consumers" of the federal Department of Agriculture (BMELV), will continue, the minister said.