Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

Stand By – Over the next few days we hope to be launching a new petition which encompasses Serbia wishing to gain EU accession, whilst at the same time failing to meet the fundamental principle of EU Member States that they must enforce the ‘rule of law’ (in their own country) regarding many animal welfare issues.  We trust you have seen some of the photographs in other recent posts as well as non EU compliance statements made by EU farm animal welfare organisations who know the rules !

This all relates to the changes made in the Treaty of Lisbon in 2009 which is now renamed as the ‘Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union’ (TFEU).

This includes new laws for animal welfare; including the statement that:

‘the Union and the Member States shall, since animals are sentient beings, pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals’

Unfortunately; and typically for the EU; certain topics of animal protection remain under the responsibility of the Member States (e.g. the use of animals in competitions, shows, cultural or sporting events and the management of stray dogs).

Stray dog management being a subject the EU is very aware of due to the excellent work of many campaign NGO’s over the years – and hence why there must be EU wide legislation relating to stray dog management introduced very soon.

Despite this failure of the EU to protect stray dogs, instead leaving ‘protection’ (so they call it – we call it ‘mass murder’) to individual nations !!!; we can still present a great deal to the EU Commission where we consider that Serbia is failing in meeting the EU accession requirements of the TFEU with regard to animals and their welfare.  These other issues are what the petition will hinge around.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmAljUem_8g

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2015/01/23/serbia-extreme-cruelty-exposed-in-animal-fighting-videos-the-eu-and-serbian-authorities-have-the-evidence-but-will-they-act-to-stop-it/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2015/01/28/england-serbia-28115-update-news-on-serbian-animal-fighting-videos-sav-work-with-mep-to-inform-enlargement-commissioner-of-failures-in-the-rule-of-law-enforcement/

Below is the reference to; and selective relevant sections of the TFEU relating to animal welfare; which we have shown in red bold type.

Stand by in the coming days to see the new petition link posted here on this site and in many other places – we hope it will be a big signature one !

THE TFEU

Ref – http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/welfare/policy/index_en.htm

Title II of TFEU lists some key principles the Union should respect. Here an Article 13 has been introduced with the Lisbon Treaty. It states that: “In formulating and implementing the Union’s agriculture, fisheries, transport, internal market, research and technological development and space policies, the Union and the Member States shall, since animals are sentient beings, pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals, while respecting the legislative or administrative provisions and customs of the Member States relating in particular to religious rites, cultural traditions and regional heritage.

“The Treaty of Lisbon, which entered into force on the 1st of December 2009 amends the current founding treaties, i.e. the Treaty on European Union (EU Treaty), which will retain its name; and the Treaty Establishing the European Community (EC Treaty), which will be renamed as the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

This puts animal welfare on equal footing with other key principles mentioned in the same title i.e. promote gender equality, guarantee social protection, protect human health, combat discrimination, promote sustainable development, ensure consumer protection, protect personal data.

It needs, however, to be noted that the European Union operates under the principles of conferred competences and subsidiarity. So competences not conferred upon the Union in the Treaties remain with the Member States and under the principle of subsidiarity, in areas that do not fall within its exclusive competence, the Union shall act only if and in so far as the objectives cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States (Article 1, 4 and 5 of the EU Treaty). As a consequence certain topics of animal protection remain under the responsibility of the Member States (e.g. the use of animals in competitions, shows, cultural or sporting events and the management of stray dogs).

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SAV Thinking Summary:

IF THE EU ‘MAKES THE RULES’, THEN SURELY THEY MUST BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THAT ‘THEIR RULES’ ARE NOT BROKEN BY MEMBER / ACCESSION STATES ??

– IF WE HAVE CLEAR EVIDENCE SHOWING THAT RULES ARE BEING BROKEN, THEN THE EU MUST BE INFORMED – HOPEFULLY TO CORRECT IT – THEIR OWN RULES THAT IS !

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional |