29 Amendments of Christophe BÉCHU related to 2009/2202(INI)
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4
Citation 4
having regard to Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which lays down that, in formulating and implementing the Union's agriculture, fisheries, transport, internal market, research and technological development and space policies, the Union and the Member States shall always, since animals are sentient beings, pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals as sentient beings, while respecting the legislative or administrative provisions and customs of the Member States relating in particular to religious rites, cultural traditions and regional heritage,
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas our high animal welfare standards are part of the 'brand' of European agricultural producers, but only on condition that the rules in force are genuinely complied with,
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the communication from the Commission of October 2009 entitled 'A better functioning food supply chain in Europe' indicates that 'significant imbalances in bargaining power between contracting parties are a common occurrence' and that they 'have a negative impact on the competitiveness of the food supply chain as smaller but efficient actors may be obliged to operate under reduced profitability, limiting their ability and incentives to invest in improved product quality and innovation of production processes',
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Welcomes the Community Action Plan on the Protection and Welfare of Animals 2006-2010, which has for the first time translated the Protocol on protection and welfare of animals, appended to the Amsterdam Treaty, into an integrated approach to the development of the protection of animals in Europe;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Appreciates the work which has been done to develop alternatives to animal testing and the Commission's efforts, under the auspices of the WTO and in bilateral agreements with third countries, to assign the highest priority to animal welfare; notes, however, that much remains to be done with regard to the principle of reciprocity in imports from third countries and compliance with the standards of the Union;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Observes that numerous measures, most of them requiring significant investment, have been taken by the parties concerned during the period 2006-2010 to improve animal welfare;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes with great satisfaction the progress which has been made in the Animal Welfare Quality Project, as regards new science and knowledge relating to animal health indicators; notes, however, that this project has not fully taken into account the promotion, in practice, of the use of these indicators;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Regrets, nonetheless, that more has not been done to adopt a proposal for new rules on animal transport and the associated issue of developing a satellite system to monitor such transport, and urges the Commission, in the time still remaining before the action plan expires, to take the initiative in this fieldNotes that no progress is being made with the adoption of a proposal for new rules on animal transport;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Is particularly concernedObserves that, despite the clear recommendations and conclusions issued by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in this regard, many pig farmers in Europe are violatinghave been unable to implement the provisions of Directive 2008/120/EC of 18 December 2008 laying down minimum standards for the protection of pigs, and calls on the Commission, therefore, to devise without delay a strategy to increase compliance with this Directive;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Observes that Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union has created a new legal situation in which new powers and greater responsibility have been vested in the European Union and its institutions and considers that this article applies to all animals and not onlylays down that, when formulating and implementing Union policy in the fields of agriculture, fisheries, transport, the internal market, research and technological development and space, the Union and Member States shall, since animals are sentient beings, pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals, while respecting the legislative or administrative provisions and customs of the Member States relating in particular to religious rites, cultural traditions and regional heritage; considers that this article applies to all livestock and animals in captivity, such as food- producing animals, circus animals and animals in zoos;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the Commission, in the light of Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to submit no later than 2012 a proposal for general animal welfare legislation for the EU which, on the basis of an impact assessment and consultation of stakeholders, as well as the available science and proven experience, should contribute to a common understanding of the concept of animal welfare and, the fundamental conditions applicable and the costs of animal welfare;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Considers that this general animal welfare legislation, which should be accompanied by individual legal acts concerning specific species of animal, must include suitable guidelines on responsible keeping of animals, a common system for monitoring and to gather comparable data, as well as requirements relating to basic know-how on the part of handlers of animals and provisions establishnd provisions establishing the particular responsibilities of animal owners; stresses that it is necessary to continue to devote attention to the way in which any such specific acts are applied, ensuring thein particular responsibilithat Parliament's prerogatives of animal ownersare safeguarded;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the debate concerning various possible animal welfare labelling schemes in the aforementioned Commission communication of 28 October 2009, and stresses that it is important that consumers in the European Union should receive adequ; recalls, however, the need to consider them in a wider context, taking account, in particular, of the various existing environmental, nutritional and climate labelling schemes; stresses thate information to enable them to make well-informed choices in this regard as well as in otherson the subject for European consumers absolutely must have a sound and consensual scientific basis and be clear to the consumer;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution
Heading 4
Heading 4
A European network of reference centres for animal welfare and animal health
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Considers that a European network of reference centres for animal welfare and animal health should be established no later than 2012, whose work should be based on the general animal welfare legislation proposed above;
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
Amendment 306 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Considers furthermore that, having regard to Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, such a centrenetwork should, inter alia, be assigned the tasks of assessing and stating views on future legislative and policy proposals and their impact on animal welfare and animal health, assessing precisely the economic impact of any new rules on the subject, defining and assessing animal welfare standards on the basis of the latest available knowledge, providing training and information about animal welfare and animal health, and coordinating an EU system for testing new techniques;
Amendment 316 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls on the Commission as soon as possible to perform comprehensive inspections to ascertain how the Member States are applying and enforcing existing animal welfare ruleto continue its inspections, particularly concerning animal transport and pigs, and if necessary to assess the causes of any shortcomings and to propose in 2012 at the latest recommendations, guidelines and other necessary measures to tackle problems;
Amendment 337 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Considers that the aim must be a purposeful, risk-based monitoring system in which objective factors such as mortality statistics and the use of antibioticspresence of disease are central;
Amendment 347 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Stresses that the European Union budget must include sufficient appropriations to enable the Commission to monitor the Member States more effectively and comprehensively perform its monitoring this regardasks;
Amendment 371 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Recalls that the use ofanimal health is an essential component of animal welfare; considers that, in this context, antibiotics resis tance indicator of the state of health of animals, and expresses its deep co animals is cause for concern, as it jeopardises their health and therefore, indirectly, their welfare; stresses that antibiotic resistancer in about the acute problem ofnimals may result in antibiotic resistance in animals and humanshumans, particularly through the food chain;
Amendment 376 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
Amendment 404 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Recalls in this context its aforementioned resolution of 22 May 2008, which likewise stressed the problem of antibiotic resistance, and eEmphasises that farmers, breeders and animal owners are primarily responsible for monitoring animals' health and welfare;
Amendment 419 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Calls for an assessment and further development of the Animal Welfare Quality Project, particularly as regardsto simplify its use on farms and thus provide incentives for farmers and producers to use the new indicators, as much work remains to be done to prepare the new indicators for practical application;
Amendment 422 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Considers that it will prove complex to measure these animal welfare indicators in the case of imported products; stresses that, without calling into question their utility or validity, these tools should not distort competition to the detriment of European producers;
Amendment 423 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
Amendment 430 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Calls on the Commission as soon as possible, and in close cooperation with European producers' organisations and other operators, to propose a system for practical trialling of new techniques within the European Union which are relevant to animal welfare, and considers that - in addition to common test standards - such a system should comprise a structure for use in disseminating the results amongto communicate the results to the operators and authorities of the various Member States;
Amendment 436 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Calls on the Member States in this context to make better use of the opportunities for support for applied research and investment in innovation and modernisation beneficial to animal welfare which is available from EU rural development funds and the 7th Framework Programme (2007-2013) of DG Research;