THE EU presidency presents Ireland with "a golden opportunity" to improve animal welfare in Europe, Compassion in World Farming said yesterday. CIWF introduced its manifesto on farm animal welfare, which it hopes Ireland will promote this during its six month tenure.
The presidency could push for a new status for animals under the terms of the Treaty of Rome, which is under review, said Mr Peter Stevenson, CIWF's legal expert.
"Currently, animals are regarded as agricultural produce and we believe animals should be treated as living or sentient beings", said Mr Stephenson.
Under Treaty of Rome regulations, he said, animals were listed alongside vegetables, cereals, meat and "guts, bladders and stomachs of animals".
"This has created the conditions for cruel farming practices like tethering of sows, veal. crate and intensive poultry rearing in cages, to take place", he said.
"By pushing for this change in the EU law, many of the serious welfare problems would be addressed because they would be illegal. I am thinking about issues like animal transport, for instance", he said.
Ms Mary Ann Bartlett, Irish organiser of CIWF in Ireland, said she had arranged a series of meetings with the Departments of Agriculture and Foreign Affairs on altering the treaty.
"The Department of Agriculture have told me that they will not support a change in the status of animals in the treaty but did say that they would not be obstructive if that is what is being sought by other countries", she said.
The presidency should be used to speed up the banning of veal crates, sow tethering and lead opposition to the patenting of genetic engineering of animals, she added.