For a number of years, the Commission has been reviewing the animal health regulations. In this regard, Parliament has proposed that all dogs in Europe be identified and registered to help combat trafficking or abandonment.
However, another proposal seeks to classify stray domestic animals as wild animals. This could, for example, allow hunters to shoot them in certain situations.
Given that the domestication process has profoundly altered the species that have undergone it, this proposal would be disastrous. Furthermore, Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union states that animals are ‘sentient’ beings and this proposal would therefore be at odds with animal welfare.
Does the Commission intend, therefore, to reconsider this proposal to classify stray dogs and cats as wild animals?
A: Mr Andriukaitis on behalf of the Commission (2015-06-26)
The Commission would refer to its answers to the written questions E-000711/2015 and E-004209/2015. Following the explanations given in the replies referred above, the Commission sees no reasons for changing the classification of the categories of animals in the Animal Health proposal. Moreover, the co-legislators have in the meantime already reached an informal political agreement on the proposal.
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