The proliferation of wild animals illegally traded as pets is in the sights of the EU, which wants to put an end to this situation. For this reason, the European authorities have initiated the first contacts to establish a listed with the pets that will be allowed in the different countries, which will entail the prohibition of possessing the species that are not in said relationship.
The European Commission (EC) is going to study the possibility of propose a single list for the entire European Union (EU) with the pets allowed in the community club, so that it would not be possible to have species not included in the possible future catalog as a pet.
Brussels spoke in this regard during the meeting of EU Agriculture Ministers that was held this Tuesday, in which Cyprus, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Malta proposed to the Community Executive to explore the possibility of setting a single repertoire of pets.
One of the main aims of the initiative would be prevent the citizens of the Twenty-Seven from keeping wild animals as pets.
As Cyprus, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Malta indicate in a document, the objective of this list would be “to improve animal welfare, safeguard biodiversity, protect public health and reduce administrative burdens in the EU Member States.”
“I heard around the table that there is clear support from many Member Statesso we will propose moving forward to gather the scientific evidence, look at an impact assessment and also look at the legal framework on how best to move forward,” European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides said during the ministerial meeting.
His intention, he said, is to invite member states to exchange best practices. “This will allow us to gather more information and experiences to provide specific advice,” said the curator.
However, the policy also called for attention to possible difficulties in implementing a single European Union list, compatibility with the World Trade Organization and whether the single catalog is “more effective” than existing policies and laws. .
Spain did not intervene in the debate on the single list of pets, but most of the Member States that expressed their opinion on this point of the meeting supported that the EC study the possibility of establishing the list of pets.
Some Member States, in their own countries, have already established their own lists of allowed pets.
In the document prepared by Malta, Cyprus, Lithuania and Luxembourg it is highlighted that cEvery year “millions of wild animals are captured in their natural habitats and sold around the world.destined for a life in captivity.
“It is well documented that trade in exotic species is one of the main threats to biodiversity, putting many species at risk of extinction. In Europe alone, it is estimated that there are more than 100 million pets (apart from dogs and cats)including small mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and amphibians, “says the letter.
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