16 Amendments of Louis MICHEL related to 2018/2599(RSP)
Amendment 9 #
Recital A
A. whereas a significant number of companion animals are illegally traded across Member States, in many cases by networks linked to serious organised crime, through the deliberate misuse of Regulation (EU) No 576/2013, which is intended for the non- commercial movements of pet animals, when they should be transported under Council Directive 92/65/EEC;
Amendment 11 #
Recital B
B. whereas it is estimated that the illegal trade in companion animals within the EU can generate very high profits at minimal risk for the actors involved, including illegal breeders;
Amendment 16 #
Recital D
D. whereas the illegal breeding of cats and dogs often happens at low cost in terrible conditions; whereas puppies are often separated from their mothers much too early and subjected to long journeys across the EU in cramped and filthy conditions with no food, water, or air- conditioning, and no breaks; whereas these young animals often arrive in the destination country unweaned, ill or badly weakened and with little or no socialisation;
Amendment 19 #
Recital E
E. whereas pet passports are often counterfeited with complicit veterinarians involved in this illegal practice;
Amendment 28 #
Recital G
G. whereas in addition to harming the welfare of animals, the illegal trafficking of companion animals has negative impacts on consumer protection, public health, the smooth functioning of the EU internal market through unfair competition, and public finances through the loss of tax revenues;
Amendment 35 #
Paragraph –1 (new)
-1. Stresses that the illegal trade in dogs and cats not only has catastrophic repercussions in terms of animal welfare but also poses risks in terms of public health and consumer protection;
Amendment 41 #
Paragraph 1
Amendment 53 #
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the European Commission to draw up a cross-sectorial EU Action Plan to address the illegal trade in companion animals in the EU; considers that the Action Plan should clearly define the responsibilities of all stakeholders and decision-makers, including the Member States, the European Commission, border, customs, law enforcement and veterinary authorities, veterinarians and civil society organisations; stresses that this Action Plan should uncover the scale of the illegal trade based on up-to-date and reliable data and provide specific options in order to respond to the huge expansion in the illegal trade in companion animals via the internet;
Amendment 54 #
Paragraph 5
5. Recommends that the European Commission involve in the Action Plan its different Directorate-Generals working on animal welfare, public health, consumer protection, internal market, and trafficking and police and judicial cooperation issues;
Amendment 65 #
Subheading 3
Controls, sanctions and better enforcement of EU legislation
Amendment 66 #
Paragraph 9
9. Is of the opinion that the illegal trafficking of companion animals could be curbed by improving law enforcement and toughening sanctions against economic operators, veterinarians and national public services - from source, transit and destination countries - who supply counterfeit pet passports, so as to ensure that sanctions have a genuinely deterrent effect;
Amendment 71 #
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Calls on Member States to apply effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions against individuals who have been convicted of illegally trafficking domestic animals and veterinarians acting in collusion with traffickers;
Amendment 91 #
Paragraph 19
19. CUnderlines the cross-border nature of such illegal trading and considers that there is an urgent need for good cooperation between Member States in order to break up criminal networks; calls on Member States to cooperate fully with each other and with Europol and Eurojust, in the case of cross-border investigations;
Amendment 95 #
Paragraph 21
21. Considers that tailor-made training for law enforcement, customs and veterinary authorities to detect the smuggling of companion animals should be promoted and improved;
Amendment 98 #
Paragraph 22
22. Recognises the important role played by animal protection associations and NGOs in the fight against the illegal trafficking of companion animals and action to raise public awareness;
Amendment 102 #
Paragraph 24
24. Calls on the Member States to carry out more awareness-raising campaigns to encourage buyers to adopt rather than purchase companion animals; encourages the Member States to take all measures necessary to place an effective ban on the sale of companion animals that are not yet weaned or show signs of illness, as well as street sales in order to limit compulsive purchasing;