Yesterday, the revised draft of the Animal Welfare Act was announced, which will now go back to departmental coordination following consultation with the federal states and associations. The draft has been submitted to the German Animal Welfare Federation. Cem Özdemir's draft is disappointing and, in view of the coalition agreement, also reveals broken promises. Thomas Schröder, President of the German Animal Welfare Federation, comments on the changes:
"The revised draft now presented following the consultation with associations is disappointing. The draft contains practically nothing of the animal welfare projects that the coalition parties committed to in the coalition agreement. This is not the announced amendment of the Animal Welfare Act to bring the state objective of animal welfare to life. The draft demonstrates a lack of political courage. Mr. Özdemir obviously needs to be reminded that he is also Federal Animal Welfare Minister by virtue of his office and that he must accept this role.
The originally planned transitional period of five years for an end to year-round tethering of cattle is now to be doubled to 10 years. A merciless sentence for all affected cattle: animals that are now permanently tethered would remain tethered for the rest of their lives. The minister has apparently also caved in to the animal welfare lobby when it comes to seasonal tethering. In the first draft of the law, it was still planned to link the permission for existing seasonal tethering to the current owner of the farm, so that the form of husbandry contrary to animal welfare would expire with the retirement of the respective animal owner. This commitment against any form of cattle tethering contrary to animal welfare was deleted. Absolutely illogical - either the tethering is contrary to animal welfare, then it must apply to all animals, regardless of where and for how long. In addition, this regulation is another blatant violation of the coalition agreement, which is unacceptable.
Further deteriorations concern the ban on some wild animals in circuses, which is now basically ineffective due to the protection of existing animals and various exceptions, as well as the torture breeding paragraph, which has also been weakened. The regulations on online trading are also only to apply to vertebrates instead of all animals as originally intended. In contrast to the first draft bill, birds of prey are still to be allowed to be tethered.
It is also disappointing that no improvements for animals are planned in the area of animal testing, although there would be a need for action from an animal welfare perspective and also in view of the coalition agreement.
Overall, this Özdemir law is weak. It has few good things, many bad things and at the same time broken promises. What the minister has clearly failed to do, the traffic light factions must now do: implement the spirit of the coalition agreement seriously and with determination and pass a law that really deserves the word protection."
Note: The draft bill, which has not yet been united within the federal government, will now go back to departmental coordination, with submission to the cabinet planned for May. The parliamentary procedure will then begin.
