91997E1765

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1765/97 by Marialiese Flemming (PPE) to the Commission (27 May 1997)

Subject: Ban on battery chicken farming

What efforts has the Commission made to improve animal welfare, especially in respect of chickens, by uniform animal protection legislation in conjunction with national standards? Is the Commission taking action to establish competition on equal terms so that consumers, who generally favour humane animal husbandry methods, do not in practice resort to cheap products? When will action be taken to put an end to cruelty to animals, in particular by the introduction of European-level rules for a ban on battery chicken farming?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (18 June 1997)

The Community has been very active in the field of legislation concerning the welfare of farm animals. A series of directives govern the rearing conditions of battery hens, pigs and calves, the protection of transported animals and the conditions for animals at the time of slaughter. These directives, although primarily oriented towards improvement of welfare standards, do aim also to facilitate this improvement in ways which do not distort the operation of market sectors concerned, notably competition within these sectors.

Concerning the progress towards up-grading the minimum Community standards, the Honourable Member is referred to the Commission's reply to written question no. 3488/96 by Mr Gahrton ((OJ C 186, 18.6.1997, p. 97. )).