Coalition partners CD&V and Open VLD were opposed to the standstill principle in the decree. This establishes that the protection of animals must not deteriorate, but CD&V and Open VLD warned about the possible legal scope and wanted to remove the principle from the codex. The CD&V amendment on the deletion of the principle did not obtain a majority (thanks to the opposition). Finally, the entire codex was given the green light. Several members of CD&V voted against or abstained.
According to Weyts, the codex is “the icing on the cake” of the Flemish animal welfare policy. “The cake may not be perfect and neither may the icing. For some the codex goes too far, for others not far enough. But I am a man of my word and this codex is a big step forward in the field of animal welfare,” he said.
(Read more under the positions)
- We set standards for chicken coops, cow and pig stables and guarantee sufficient space, daylight and outside air
- We limit animal testing to a strict minimum. Their scientific relevance and social usefulness must be demonstrated
- We are anchoring the principle of animal welfare in the Belgian constitution, as Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg have already done
- We prohibit the commercial importation of pets
- Following the example of Wallonia, we will ban the farming of laying hens in cages nationwide from 2028 and set legal standards for the farming of turkeys
GREEN - Enshrine animal rights in the Constitution
- Ban cage chickens, day-old chicks, cages that are too small and mutilating procedures. Animals in livestock farming are given a dignified life
- Construct more ecoducts and toad tunnels
- Animal rights associations must be able to go to court to stop abuse, without having to demonstrate a personal interest
- No more unnecessary testing on animals
VLAAMS BELANG - An emergency number for animal abuse and neglect that is permanently available, such as in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom
- The immediate introduction of the ban on slaughter without stunning in the Brussels-Capital Region, a ban on the sale of meat from animals slaughtered without stunning and stricter controls and sanctions on illegal home slaughter
- A lifelong ban on keeping animals for people and traders who have repeatedly abused or neglected animals
- The option to take certain pets with you to a residential care center, so that people can experience their old age together with their pet
OPEN VLD - Not a step back in animal welfare, but also not going further than necessary. Level playing field at European level
- Farmers must also be given a fair chance. Animal welfare must become part of trade agreements with non-EU countries
- Striving for a world free from animal testing
CD&V - Animals are beings with feelings, although that does not give them rights. People must treat them with care
- The abuse of animals must remain prohibited and punishable
- The living conditions of both domestic and farm animals must be improved
- We want the same strict animal welfare standards throughout Europe, not just in Flanders or Belgium
- Farmers are given sufficient time and resources to adapt stables, cages and nutrition
FORWARD - There must be a ban on animal-unfriendly practices in the agricultural sector, such as the mass killing of day-old chicks, the surgical castration of piglets without anesthesia and animal transports longer than 8 hours. Fast-growing chicken breeds that are ready for slaughter after 40 days should also be banned
- The breeding of dog and cat breeds with serious hereditary defects should be banned, as should the import of puppies and kittens from abroad
- To combat neglect and overcrowded animal shelters, purchasing must be stricter. Including by requiring new dog owners to attend dog school and creating a blacklist of animal abusers
- Ban on animal testing for household products
- The protection of sentient animals must be written into the Constitution
N-VA - Animal abuse is given a higher priority in prosecution policy by better training the police on animal welfare legislation and investigating the possibility of GAS fines for infringements
- Companion animals are not consumer goods, which is why we monitor the sale of animals on the internet even more strictly
- We prohibit the use and sale of large fireworks on a private basis and introduce a ban on the sale of products that are harmful or dangerous to the animal species for which they are intended
- We are working on an effective extinction policy for the dolphinarium in Bruges with an import and breeding ban
- We pay more attention to the welfare of farmed animals in agriculture, taking into account the competitive position of our own agricultural companies
The codex bundles existing and new rules regarding animal welfare: for example, animal markets and home slaughter of certain animals are prohibited, and alternative punishments, such as mandatory training and guidance, can be imposed on people who cause animal suffering.
Cock hitting, geese riding, fish drinking
The codex replaces the almost forty-year-old Animal Welfare Act and is based on the vision that every animal is a living being with feelings, specific needs and intrinsic value. It follows that animals must be adequately protected. Anyone who is negligent towards an animal can be punished.
Organizers of popular customs such as cock-batting, goose riding or fish-drinking are not given an exception: they must also respect animal welfare and adapt their practice if necessary. “If traditions cause animal suffering, then we must adapt those traditions,” said Minister Weyts.
No chicken cages, home slaughter and animal markets
Furthermore, certain practices are being abolished. The current chicken cages must be exchanged for aviary systems with free range. Chicken cages may also no longer be purchased new or replaced: for example, there may be no more chicken cages in Flanders by 2036.
People are no longer allowed to slaughter sheep, goats or pigs at home and animal markets are no longer allowed to take place. This concerns the weekly market or livestock markets. Occasional annual fairs or specialized fairs are still allowed to sell animals.
Glue traps are banned, as is any sexual act with animals. Pasture animals must be able to make permanent use of shelter.
Every slaughterhouse must also have a camera, animals captured in the wild may not be kept, and in every police zone someone must be designated as responsible for animal welfare.
Dolphinariums prohibited, except Boudewijn Seapark
New rules have also been drawn up for keeping dolphins. There will be a ban on dolphinariums, but because, according to Minister Weyts, there is no better alternative for the dolphins in the Boudewijn Seapark in Bruges, they will be allowed to stay, although there may not be more than six. The park is also required to build an outdoor pool for the animals to improve their welfare. Every ten years it will be evaluated whether there is a worthy alternative to bring the dolphins.
READ ALSO. World-famous scientist calls for closure of dolphinarium, Boudewijn Seapark responds: “Dolphins feel good 85 percent of the time” (+)
Gaia sees progress, but also shortcomings
Animal rights organization Gaia sees “an undeniable progress” in the new animal welfare codex, but also detected “important shortcomings”.
Some measures have too long a transition period for Gaia, while others have had exceptions added. For example, Gaia advocated a complete abolition of the sale of live animals at markets, “as this has a bad impact on animal welfare and health in any case and regardless of the frequency of these markets.” The codex still allows animal sales at occasional annual fairs or specialized fairs.
“The principle ban on killing day-old chicks has also been weakened to such an extent that in practice there is virtually no effective ban yet,” says Gaia. “The Flemish Government determines when the ban will come into effect. Gaia is therefore urging the next government to introduce an effective ban. The technology to determine the sex of a chick in the egg is already sufficiently developed. The inhumane waste of millions of defenseless creatures can already be prevented.”
The fact that there is no extinction policy for the dolphins of the Boudewijn Seapark in Bruges is also a shortcoming for Gaia. “It is unreasonable to only decide on the fate of the seven dolphins that remain there today after an initial assessment in 2037. They deserve a faster transfer to a suitable reception center, such as the Greek Marine Reserve in a bay on the island of Lipsi, where they can spend the rest of their days in semi-freedom.”
Tags: Flemish animal welfare codex approved difficulty animal markets dolphinariums banned
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