Enforcement of EU legislation

Expectations of EU Citizens and Non-Governmental Organisations

Sonja Van TichelenDirector

Eurogroup for Animals

Eurogroup for Animals

• European federation representing 40 national and international member organisations

• 30 years experience working on introduction, implementation and enforcement of EU animal welfare laws

• Farm animals, wildlife protection, animals used in research, companion animals,…

Expectations of EU Citizens and Non-Governmental Organisations

New approach needed

Role of NGOs in enforcement

Tools, measures and partnerships in an enforcement strategy

= animal cruelty, suffering unacceptable

Enforcement of EU legislation

New approach needed• Control resources will not increase• European Court process ???• Minimum standards not sufficient• Gather collective resources and expertise – support private sector

example: Beter Leven scheme

Role of NGO’s in enforcement

Transport• Investigations: Animals Angels, Dierenbescherming, RSPCA, …• Training of police: Italy, France, Belgium• Production of guidelines and tools

Farming• Pig housing and routine mutilations: CIWF- Danish Dyrenes Beskyttelse• Aid el Kebir: RSPCA

Role of NGO’s in enforcement (2)

Slaughter• Slaughter training by RSPCA : Bulgaria, Turkey, Spain• Welfare of food animals by RSPCA : Portugal, Western Balkans

Wildlife • Zoo implementation: Eurogroup • Zoo enforcement: Born Free • Illegal Wildlife traded on internet: IFAW• Enforcement training for customs: IFAW trained 1200 customs officers and cooperates and funds Interpol

Role of NGO’s in enforcement (2)

Animal testing• Implementation status of new EU law: Eurogroup• Cosmetics: sale of Chinese cosmetics : Proefdiervrij• REACH : examine testing proposals: ECEAE

Tools, measures and partnerships

• Data collection and monitoring• Cooperation and partnerships• Training and information • Skilled and sufficient inspectorate• Responsibility to the sector – self regulation• Use of incentives – subsidies – cross compliance• Use of technology, innovation

…the recently-adopted Regulation on ElectronicReporting Systems and Remote Sensingtechnologies means that, once again, theEU will lead the world in making real-timereporting and monitoring a practical reality.Most importantly, the creation of the CommunityAgency for Fisheries Control in 2006is destined to radically change the way inwhich the national inspection services of theEU work together, by coordinating cross-bordercollaboration with the help of Communityinspectors drawn from the Member States

To ensure an effective control, Member States should operate a vessel monitoring system and fishing vessels of 12 meters’ length overall or more should be equipped with a device allowing Member States to automatically locate and identify those vessels.

Fisheries policy

Use of technology

• Ideal for documenting storage and transport conditions of temperature sensitive products.

• Compact, single-use, in-transit data logger

The traditional view of enforcement of consumer protection has been that public authorities apply hard law. Today, alternatives exist …

Consumer policy

An effective enforcement response combines activities which promote compliance through information of consumers andbusinesses, with more formal enforcement measures

Co-regulation and self-regulatory measures can both reinforce the industry's commitment to secure a high level of compliance

• IMPEL European Network for the implementation and enforcement of environmental law

The network is committed to contribute to a more effective application of EU environmental law by capacity building, awareness raising, sharing good practices, providing guidance and tools, enforcement cooperation and giving feed back to lawmakers and regulators on the practicability and enforceability of environmental legislation. http://impel.eu/

Environment policy

• DG Environment : transposition animal experimentation Directive

A new approach needed for animal welfare enforcement

• Partnerships : Public /Private/NGOs• New Tools and Technology• Best practice in enforcement structure• New Policy measures or policy mix

- CAP funding or state aid