21 Amendments of Paolo DE CASTRO related to 2016/2077(INI)
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas European producers are required to meet high standards of animal health and welfare that are not always compulsory in third countries exporting animals for slaughter to the EU; whereas consumers are becoming increasingly attentive to the conditions under which animals are being reared;
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the majority of rabbits are farmed for meat production, with over 340 million rabbits slaughtered for meat ever year; whereas more than three quarters of all rabbit farming in the EU takes place in Italy, Spain and France, although it represents less than 1% of the EU's final livestock production;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas it is both important and necessary to achieve and maintain profitable rabbit production so that it can continue to help preserve the rural fabric and employment, particularly for women, in areas where other types of production are not possible, as well as continuing to offer varied, high-quality food to consumers;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas rabbit farmers and the sector as a whole have an interest in ensuring that rabbit breeding in line with the European production model continues to uphold the highest standards in the world with regard to food safety, animal health and welfare and respect for the environment;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the housing of rabbits kept for farming purposes is one of the central questions discussed among stakeholders involved in their breeding, especially with regard to maintaining health and animal welfare;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas, since their domestication, the majority of rabbits in the EU are kept in barren environments, often in battery cages; whereas rabbits are often housed in sheds containing 500 to 1 000 breeding females and 10 000 to 20 000 growing rabbits;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the domesticated rabbrabbit, like other species that coexist with hasumans, keept most of the wild rabbs elements of it’s natural behaviour, and intensivresearch therefore needs to be fcarming systems have severe negative implications for its welfareried out in this area and measures and conditions implemented during rearing to ensure as far as possible that rabbits are able to maintain this behaviour, provided that it is positive for their own health;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas, as in the case of other species such as poultry, research might be undertaken into alternative production systems, including organic production systems, that can offer consumers a wider range of food products and have hitherto been developed only to a limited extent;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas there are minimum EU standards for the protection of pigs1 , calves2 , laying hens3 and broiler chickens4 , as well as the general Council Directive for the protection of animals kept for farming purposes5 , but there is not as yet any specific EU legislation on minimum standards for the protection of the majority of species, including rabbits; _________________ 1 Council Directive 2008/120/EC laying down minimum standards for the protection of pigs, Official Journal L 47, 18.02.2009 p. 5-13. 2 Council Directive 2008/119/EEC of 18 December 2008 laying down minimum standards for the protection of calves. Official Journal L 10, 11.1.2009 p. 7-13. 3 Council Directive 1999/74/EC of 19 July 1999 laying down minimum standards for the protection of laying hens. Official Journal L203, 3.8.1999 p. 53-57. 4 Council Directive 2007/43/EC of 28 June 2007 laying down minimum rules for the protection of chickens kept for meat production, Official Journal L 182, 12.7.2007, p. 19-28. 5 Council Directive 98/58/EC of 20 July 1998 concerning the protection of animals kept for farming purposes. Official Journal L221, 8.8.1998 p. 23-27.
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas rabbit breeding is already subject to national legislation in those Member States where rabbit meat production is principally concentrated;
Amendment 95 #
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; points out that the use of pen systems improves the welfare of farm rabbits and reduces the incidence of abnormal behaviour amongst themresearch, development and innovation in relation to rabbit welfare, including individual and group housing systems, with the aim of gaining better knowledge and making it possible to implement improvements to farms while at the same time guaranteeing their sustainability;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls for the mandatory origin labelling of rabbit meat, thereby allowing consumers to make informed and transparent purchasing choices, while highlighting the provenance of the product and protecting it from unfair competition;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Asks that, as is the case for other species, research be carried out to define alternative production systems, including organic production systems, so that rabbit farmers can opt for them on a voluntary basis and the diverse range of European consumers can be offered a wider range of products tailored to their needs;
Amendment 122 #
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 EU israditionally, farmed adult does have had housing systems that are 60 to 65 cm long, 40 to 48 cm wide and 30 to 35 cm high; concludes that this mean, and the size of these housing systems that rabbits cannot move normally or adopt normal postures such as stretching outs increased over time and arrangements such as footrests have been introduced, switting 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 exercish the aim of improving welfare and reducing foot lesions; takes the view that more research is needed with the aim of developing other strategies that will improve the can imalso lead to weakened or broken bones' welfare and health;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Points out that rabbits can suffer from a wide range of welfare problems and diseases caused by breeding conditions, 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 161 #
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;iven that the space available for keeping rabbits is a significant factor for their welfare in both traditional and alternative housing systems, it is vital to expand the very limited knowledge currently available in this area, with a view to introducing measures that will help to improve welfare; further considers it necessary to study enrichment systems, such as platforms, so as to ensure that their design guarantees rabbits' health and improves their welfare; .
Amendment 188 #
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 lead to an increase in antimicrobial resistancee risk of increased antimicrobial resistance resulting from excessive reliance on antibiotics in rabbit farming;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls on the Commission, in the light of the high number of rabbits being farmed and slaughtered in the EU and the severe animal welfare implications of the systems currently used for keeping rabbits,, to work together with all those involved in production to put forward soon legislative proposals on setting financially sustainable minimum standards for the protection of farm rabbits;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Invites the Commission to consider pen systems as the guiding principle when proposing measurstep up funding for research into the best forms of housing requirements for breeding does and for rabbits reared for meat production;