17 Amendments of Anja HAZEKAMP related to 2016/2077(INI)
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
B b. Whereas there is a clear consumer trend against the consumption of rabbit meat;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. Whereas there are grave concerns regarding the poor welfare, high stress levels, high mortality and morbidity of farm rabbits in Europe, as already concluded by EFSA in 2005; whereas some, but not all, detrimental effects on the welfare of farm rabbits are the result of poor housing systems and cages;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. Whereas more and more consumers and citizens across the EU are asking for regulation and better welfare for farm rabbits; whereas some Member States have national legislation for the protection of farm rabbits in force;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas only a few Member States have legal requirements for rabbit farming; whereas in 2012 Austria has banned the keeping of rabbits in cages for meat production; whereas Belgium has legislation in force that aims to phase out battery cages and replace them with park systems by 2025;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
H a. Whereas the EU has a negative trade balance with China with regard to rabbit meat; whereas 99% of rabbit meat imports into the EU originate from China; whereas Chinese producers will outcompete EU farmers, with adverse animal welfare implications, if no actions are taken;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Expresses its concerns that rabbits in the EU are usually reared in unenriched cages, a barren environment that only has a drinker and feeder; also notes with concern that rabbits are fed on pellets and the close confines of the battery cages do not allow rabbits to express their natural behaviour, leading to abnormal behaviour, such as over grooming and repetitive gnawing or nibbling of the cage;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Emphasises that rabbits, due to their complex intrinsic physiological and behavioural needs are not suited to a life in production systems; calls upon the Commission and Member States, in close cooperation with all relevant stakeholders, to come forward with a roadmap which aims to phase out the keeping of rabbits for production purposes;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Encourages the use of EU support under the rural development programmes for a transition in the rabbit farming sector's production systems towards higher animal welfare standards; invites the Commission to consider drafting support programmes to this end;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 d (new)
Paragraph 3 d (new)
3 d. Stresses that all rabbit meat on the EU market must adhere to high food safety and quality standards, and animal welfare criteria, including imports from third countries; highlights the dangers of unfair competition from third countries if equivalent standards and criteria are not applied to imports;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 e (new)
Paragraph 3 e (new)
3 e. Calls on the Commission and Member States to safeguard the quality and safety of rabbit meat imports by undertaking thorough controls and inspections when these imports enter the Union;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Points out that there is a need for further scientific research on the welfare of farm rabbits; invites the Member States and Commission to encourage and undertake scientific research on the welfare of farm rabbits and rabbit farming production systems;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes with concern that there is a high rate of disease and mortality amongst caged farm rabbits, compared with other farmed species; points out that EFSA already concluded in 2005 that the mortality and morbidity of farmed rabbits seem considerably higher than in other farmed animal species due to enteric and respiratory infections, and reproductive problems;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Underlines that growing rabbits and does kept in pen systems, typically 750 cm²/rabbit for growers and 800 cm²/rabbit for does, benefit from more space for movement, social interaction and play, and that platforms in pen systems allow rabbits to avoid aggressors by getting out of the way, with separate housing for does when they are nursing a litter; encourages therefore also further research into the benefits of alternative housing systems, such as for example pen systems;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Points out that transport is an extremely stressful experience for rabbits; underlines that rabbits should be fed and watered before transport and be provided with adequate food, water and space in transit, and that transport times should be as limited as possible, owing to the sensitivity of the species; emphasises that there are a huge variety of stress factors that affect animal welfare and that these differ between regions or even farms, such as heat, inanition, dehydration, pain and trauma, cold, motion sickness and fear;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Stresses that the welfare of farm rabbits during transport and slaughtering depends on the attitudes and handling procedures used by farmers, hauliers and abattoir personnel, as well as the transport logistics;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Invites the Commission to set within future EU-level legislation, in cooperation with stakeholders, an appropriate transitional period to phase out battery cage systems in rabbit farming alongside a reasonable timetable with measurable milestones and regular reporting to, and monitoring by, the Commission;
Amendment 250 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Calls upon the Commission, in particular Eurostat, and the Member States to collect and produce regularly updated and accurate statistics on rabbit meat production and rabbit meat trade;