One day before the final reading of the new animal husbandry labeling law in the German Bundestag, the German Animal Welfare Federation is calling on MPs to renegotiate the law and not to pass it now. The planned animal husbandry label in its current form would not help a single animal, but on the contrary would cement the often catastrophic conditions in agricultural animal husbandry - in the long term.
Thomas Schröder, President of the German Animal Welfare Federation, makes a final appeal to the members of the German Bundestag: "Don't decide, renegotiate. Because what may be well-intentioned is unfortunately poorly implemented. Apparently, the FDP in particular has ensured reduced space requirements and too little funding with its blockade policy. The traffic light factions now want to nod off the result. The law will not bring a better life for a single animal. On the contrary, pig farming in the "stall" and "stall+place" stages, which is contrary to animal welfare, would be sealed by the state and thus presumably legitimized for decades to come - against the will of the majority of society." The law would not provide any impetus for more animal welfare in agricultural animal husbandry, but would merely reflect the completely inadequate status quo.
In the coalition agreement, the SPD, FDP and Alliance 90/The Greens promised animal husbandry labeling that also covers transport and slaughter. Criteria for this are nowhere to be found in the draft bill, nor is there a sustainable concept to support farmers who want to convert their animal husbandry to be species-appropriate. "This is an outright breach of contract. No strategy, no plan, just inadequate piecemeal work," says Schröder.
In terms of animal welfare policy, the traffic light is falling short of expectations. A current example is the deletion of a passage in the draft bill of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) on the new Animal Welfare Act, in which it was stated for the first time that economic interest does not constitute a reasonable reason for impairing the life and well-being of an animal. "The good will of the BMEL to improve the living conditions of animals in agriculture is regularly stifled by the pincer grip of economic lobby interests and their political representatives. Apparently, the FDP Minister Buschmann has made himself the mouthpiece of animal users and pushed through the change, unfortunately without any recognizable resistance from the BMEL. A coalition forces compromises. But if these are regularly at the expense of animal welfare, then this is not acceptable," said Schröder.
Note: On Friday (16.6.), Animal Welfare Federation President Thomas Schröder will be available for interviews on 0151 / 241 79 399 in Berlin after the decision on the Animal Husbandry Labeling Act until 2 pm.
CAMPAIGN "MORE ANIMAL WELFARE NOW!"
With its current campaign "Now more animal welfare!", the German Animal Welfare Federation provides information on which announcements from the coalition agreement the coalition government has already tackled and where there are only empty promises so far: www.jetzt-mehr-tierschutz.de
