An anti-meat campaign which may see a reduction in subsidies for livestock farmers has been given the green light by the European Commission.

The Commission has agreed to officially register a campaign designed to pressure governments to pull funding and subsidies from livestock farming and support cell farming and plant proteins instead.

In order for the campaign to be successful, one million signatures must to be gathered across at least seven member states.

If the target is met, the Commission will be obliged to present the initiative to the European Parliament for consideration.

Campaign

The Commission has said that the European Citizens Initiative (ECI) can begin within the next six months.

The mantra of the campaign is to create "a world without slaughterhouses".

"Our European association, UECBV, is particularly concerned at the Commission’s apparent openness to put into question the whole livestock sector, practices and professionalism, and will be discussing how to respond at the next meat industry section meeting on 10 June in Brussels," the EU said in a statement.

Alternatives

End The Slaughter Age is the name of the anti-meat campaign.

"The ethical alternatives with which End The Slaughter Age proposes to replace animal products emit 99% less greenhouse emissions and require 99% fewer resources to produce the same amount of meat," the campaign website said.

The alternatives it proposes include cultivated meat and vegetable meat.