Commissioner designate to incentivise animal welfare initiatives

The incoming European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare has said he will put a focus on incentivising animal welfare initiatives, restricting microbial treatments in agriculture and clamping down on unethical animal transporters.

Olivér Várhelyi, the Hungarian commission nominee, was speaking at the Committee of Environment, Public Health and Animal Welfare in Brussels on Wednesday evening.

Although much of the discussion at the meeting was in terms of his stance of abortion and reproductive rights, Várhelyi was also grilled about farmer and animal health issues.

When asked about how he will enforce animal welfare across the European Union, the commissioner-designate said he would be strict, but that farmers needs incentives.

“I think it is very clear that, whatever the country, the rules have to be followed and the rules under my leadership are going to be enforced with full force,” he said.

“If we want to request our farmers to do more for animal welfare, which I am convinced as a fact that they want to do because our farmers, they love their animals, we have to help them.

“We also have to help them financially, because it means that we have to have time enough for them to adapt themselves, and also, they need financial incentives to be able to deliver everything we are asking from them.”

Animal transportation

A key concern held in many European countries, including Ireland, is the transport of livestock across borders and the issues with enforcing animal welfare laws.

Slovakian MEP, Michal Wiezik, said that many transport operators drive around Austria, which has more stringent animal welfare checks. Instead, they drive through countries like Italy, Slovenia and Hungary which can also add extra distance for the animals’ journey.

Várhelyi said the new legislation will look to counteract any transporters that plan to use ‘loopholes’.

“From day number one, enforcement and implementation of the current rules are going to be key, because I think that even with the current rules on animal transport, we can improve the situation on the ground significantly, but we have to be consistent,” he said.

“This is why I want to reach out to all member states and their authorities to make sure that we will not have pictures of calves being shipped around the Mediterranean, that we will not see bovines dying on the border of Bulgaria and Turkey.

“We should also be mindful of the fact that we want our farmers to be able to continue farming, that they should be able to raise animals, they should be able to fatten animals, and they should be able to slaughter animals.”

Antimicrobial resistance

Várhelyi said he would also look to urgently restrict the supply of antimicrobial treatments in farming.

In addition, he said there needs to be more support for innovation to curb current under investment in the sector and create a market for more effective antibiotics and treatments developed in Europe.

“One of the biggest health threats in Europe and worldwide is antimicrobial resistance,” he added.

“The faster we can deliver on the reduction of antibiotic use in agriculture, the faster we can find the human resistance and slow it down as an epidemic.

“I think that our farmers are delivering; we are already at roughly 22% of reduction compared to 2019. So, I think that they are doing a good job.”

Animal farming

The commissioner-designate felt that "mass livestock farming" was necessary to keep up with the growing demand for meat, in response to a question from a German MEP on factory farming.

However, he agreed that stricter animal welfare laws need to be in place to ensure animal health is put first.

“To me, animal welfare means that we should create better conditions for our animals while they are alive,” he said.

“Mass animal farming is the sector that gives food on our table, so I do not have a negative view on them. I think that we need them, but we need to help them to improve animal welfare.”