18 Amendments of Laurenţiu REBEGA related to 2016/2077(INI)
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the housing of rabbits kept for farming purposes is one of the centrala questions discussed among stakeholders involved in their breeding, especially with regard to animal welfare;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the domesticated rabbit has kept most of the wild rabbit’s natural behaviour, and intensive farming systems can have severe negative implications for its welfare;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Expresses its concernNotes that rabbits in the EU are usually reared in unenriched cages, in a barren environment that only has a drinker and feeder; also notes with concernstresses that rabbits are sometimes fed on pellets and the close confines of the battery cages do not allow rabbits to express their natural behaviour; recalls that, in general, the way in which rabbits are farmed in Europe meets far higher animal welfare standards than is the case in most countries outside Europe where rabbits are raised and exported;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Acknowledges that in some Member States alternatives to barren-cage farming of rabbits exist which, in certain cases, reduce the incidence of disease and mortality rates and improve the welfare of farmed rabbits;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Encourages the use of pen systems for groups, which are the most suitable system for rabbits because of their highly social behaviour; pPoints out that the use of pen systems improves the welfare of farm rabbits and reduces the incidence of abnormal behaviour amongst them; recognises that this practice should be encouraged;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises that, owing to the absence of species-specific animal husbandry legislation for rabbits in the EU, the breeding of rabbits is highly intensified and its architecture resembles a high- outputn industrial production system;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Points out that, to cut costs and save space, a typical barren wire cage for an adult doe in the EUcertain EU Member States is 60 to 65 cm long, 40 to 48 cm wide and 30 to 35 cm high; concludes that this means that rabbits cannot move normally or adopt normal postures such as stretching out, sitting and standing with their ears erect ( a ‘look out’ posture typical of the species), rearing up, turning around comfortably and hopping; underlines that this lack of exercise can alsometimes lead to weakened or broken bones;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes with concern that there is a high rate of disease and mortality amongst caged farm rabbits, compared with other farmed species, because of the specific sensitivity of these animals, which is also one of their features in the natural environment;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Notes that, even in a natural environment, rabbits suffer from diseases and viruses which are sometimes fatal (HDV, myxomatosis, intestinal coccidiosis, etc.), which sometimes require treatment with antibiotics or remedies against parasites in order to prevent their dying out in the areas affected;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Expresses its concern that rabbits reared and fattened for meat production in the EU are typically cagraised in groups, and are provided with a small space per rabbit that is less than the area of two ordinary A4 sheets of paper;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Points out that rabbits can suffer from a wide range of welfare problems and diseases, including fatal viruses, snuffles and sore hocks from sitting on wire-mesh cage floors; is aware that investigations6 have shown that on some farms sick and injured rabbits are not treated and many fall victim to eye and fungal infections and respiratory conditions; notes with concern that the vast majority of these animals end up in the food chain, either as pet food or as meat sold to consumers in supermarkets; _________________ 6 http://www.ciwf.org.uk/our- campaigns/investigations/rabbit- investigations/2014-the-biggest-secret-of- the-cage-age/
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recognises the importance of providing training courses for people involved in all aspects of animal handling in rabbit farming in order to improve their performance and understanding of the relevant animal welfare requirements in order to avoid unnecessary suffering for animalssupplement their knowledge of this type of farming, which is very complex;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Underlines that growing rabbits and does kept in pen systems, typically 750 cm²/rabbit for growers and 800 cm²/rabbit for does, benefit from more space for movement, social interaction and play, and that platforms in pen systems allow rabbits to avoid aggressors by getting out of the way, with separate housing for does when they are nursing a litter; recognises that this pen system will cause farmers to incur very high costs, which it will be necessary to take into account by providing financial assistance to farmers who freely opt for this system for raising rabbits;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Points out that transport is an extremelyperhaps a stressful experience for rabbits; underlines that rabbits should be fed before transport and be provided with adequate food, water and space in transit, and that transport times should be as limited as possible, owing to the sensitivity of the species; emphasises that there are a huge variety of stress factors that affect animal welfare and that these differ between regions or even farms;
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses that the widespread use of antibiotics in rabbit farming, especially in the intensive type of farming that uses cage systems, can, in certain cases, lead to an increase in antimicrobial resistance;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Invites the Commission to consider pen systems as the guiding principleone of the possibilities when proposing measures for housing requirements for breeding does and for rabbits reared for meat production;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Stresses that all measures should be harmonised at EU level by introducing specific EU legislation for the minimum protection of farm rabbits, includingprovision should be made for a clear system of production labelling allowing consumers in the EU to make an informed choice about the rabbit meat they buy;