Agriculture ministers divided over possible EU regulation on chick killing

Published Jul 27, 2021

Tridge summary

The EU Agriculture Council has seen a proposal from Germany and France to ban the killing of male laying chicks across Europe, a practice already illegal in their countries from 2022. This proposal, supported by several other countries, is part of the upcoming revision of the EU animal welfare legislation. However, not all Member States agree with this initiative, raising concerns about its impact on profitability and the need for cost assessment.

Additionally, the EU Commission has announced plans to ban all farm animals from being kept in cages by 2023, including sows, laying hens, and calves. This proposal has received mixed reactions from the Member States, with concerns about its impact on food supply, the need for a transition period, and the need for additional financial support for farmers to implement the changes.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

In the EU Agriculture Council, Germany and France have proposed that the killing of male laying chicks be banned across Europe. In the course of the upcoming revision of the EU animal welfare legislation, the Commission could promptly initiate the necessary impact assessment, according to the application. In Germany and France, the practices are already prohibited by law from 2022. The German-French initiative is supported by Spain, Ireland, Austria, Portugal and Luxembourg. However, several Member States disagree. The head of the Polish delegation emphasized, for example, that animal welfare issues when killing chicks have to be reconciled with profitability. Bulgaria and Romania also insisted on assessing the cost of the techniques before legislating. Denmark's Agriculture Minister Rasmus Prehn was also reluctant. In his opinion, the early detection of the chick sex is not yet mature enough, especially in large units. The Czech Republic warned that a ban on the killing of chicks ...

Source: Top Agrar Online