France presents its priorities in the European welfare review

The French Ministry of Agriculture conducted consultations with all stakeholders in the first half of 2023. These discussions allowed the drafting of proposals to improve farm animal welfare, which have recently been sent to the Commission.

The French authorities ask the European Commission to:

• not create situations that would again place European livestock farming in a position of distorting competition or losing competitiveness. It is a matter of working to strengthen the degree of harmonization of the European Union's internal market;
• improve the application of European standards by third (non-EU) countries for products of animal origin exported to the EU on the basis of reciprocity;
• that the "mirror" measures are truly integrated into the texts of the future legislative package;
• with regard to the establishment of a European animal welfare label, the French authorities wish to promote the improvement of consumer information through the labeling of animal products placed on the European market on a voluntary basis.

The French authorities also stress that system transformation cannot be immediate and that a logical transition over time must be considered. It is essential to take into account the economic capacity of the sectors to be able to adapt to the new requirements over time and to allow deadlines for the entry into force of the texts to give visibility to the professionals, in particular as regards the amortization period for investments in livestock facilities.