Flanders wants greater emphasis on animal welfare at the European level

In the spring of 2024, Belgium will hold the presidency of the Council of the European Union. Flanders wants to use this presidency to draw attention to the importance of animal welfare, including a specific European summit on animal welfare and a fully valid European Commissioner for animal welfare.

During the discussion of the policy and budget remarks in the Flemish Parliament committee, the Flemish Minister for Animal Welfare Ben Weyts announced that during the Belgian presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first part of 2024, he wants to highlight the good practices of the Flemish animal welfare policy.

European summit on animal welfare

One of Weyts’ aims is to make a European summit on animal welfare a reality for the first time in history. The agenda would include a European initiative on better conditions in the trade and transport of puppies, animal testing and a fully valid European Commissioner for animal welfare.

Flanders as a good example for other EU countries

“Of course, there is no exact agenda yet, but through this presidency, Flanders can also show that it is a real leader in the field of animal welfare. Take, for example, the ban on slaughter without stunning and the mandatory sterilisation and microchipping of cats. We hope this will encourage other European countries to follow our example and put an end to poor conditions and dubious practices,” says Flemish MP Allessia Claes.

Leading role

“This demonstrates all the more the leading role Minister Weyts, and by extension Flanders, has in Europe when it comes to animal welfare. Having a European summit on animal welfare and promoting a fully valid European Commissioner on the theme puts Flanders even more on the European animal welfare map,” says Flemish MP Sofie Joosen.