Sports and leisure - Animal lovers

Does the EU have a policy on animal welfare? Yes. The EU has been working on animal welfare for more than 25 years. EU laws have since regularly been revised and their scope widened over the years. The Treaty of Amsterdam, which entered into force in...

Does the EU have a policy on animal welfare?

Yes. The EU has been working on animal welfare for more than 25 years. EU laws have since regularly been revised and their scope widened over the years.

The Treaty of Amsterdam, which entered into force in May 1999, produced new scope for EU action on animal welfare because EU countries agreed on a protocol on the protection and welfare of animals. In the protocol, the EU recognises that animals are sentient, meaning that they are conscious of what takes place.

The protocol states that: "In formulating and implementing the Community's agriculture, transport, internal market and research policies, the Community and the member states shall 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, culture traditions and regional heritage."

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