Proposed EU-US trade agreement must address animal protection

An Eagle Eye on TTIP takes place today, on World Wildlife Day, in Brussels. The event will bring together Members of European Parliament, government officials, NGOs and industry representatives and will include discussions on the ways the proposed trade agreement between the EU and the US may impact the lives of animals raised in farming, wildlife and animals used in scientific testing. 

We have been engaged with the negotiations since they began in 2013 as they have the potential to improve the lives of millions, if not billions, of animals. With passionate trade experts based both in the EU and the US, we have been in a unique position to engage with the process. 

Today we take those discussions to the next level as we focus the conversation on the animals that may be impacted by a trade agreement. 

Emily Rees, Trade Policy Advisor at World Animal Protection says:

“TTIP must take full consideration of the public’s concern for the well-being of animals in farming.

“The EU has a duty to ensure that products available to European consumers respect EU legislation. Free trade agreements like TTIP can set conditions to ensure that the food we buy respects ethical values.

“The EU has banned the most extreme confinement systems, such as battery cages, veal crates, and use of sow stalls throughout pregnancy, which continue to be used in the US. In the U.S, eggs from hens raised in battery cages are banned from sale in California, as these cages severely compromise animal welfare, yet these same eggs that contravene EU law can be sold to European consumers.

TTIP should change this situation by setting conditions for the import of eggs from the U.S.”

We work to put animal protection at the heart of global discussions on building a sustainable future for the planet. Read more about what we are doing to protect animals on a global scale. 

“The EU has a duty to ensure that products available to European consumers respect EU legislation.