Maltese MEP Alfred Sant told the European Parliament that the proposed EU legislation on rabbit rearing in EU member states is detrimental to rabbit rearers in the smaller EU member states. Dr Sant said that binding rabbit breeding operators in the EU small member states to follow new regulations while submitting them to new controls would decrease their competitiveness. It is unacceptable to place these small scale operations in such a situation. Rabbit breaders in small EU member states are already experiencing market spasmodic shrinkages as well as unfair competition, including from non-EU sources.
“Given that from a health perspective, the consumption of rabbit meat is to be recommended, rather than consider further regulation of the small scale sector, what we need are new measures, national and European, to promote their activities,” said Dr Sant when explaining his reservations before voting in favour of the motion ‘Minimum Standards for the protection of farm rabbits’. The motion authorises the European Commission to draft legislation setting out minimum standards for the protection of farm rabbits. This could be the first step towards banning cage-farming of rabbits, as the report is calling for the practice to go the same way as battery hen production.
“My vote for this resolution basically underlines my agreement with all measures that would enhance the welfare and living conditions of rabbits being reared commercially for their meat. However it is subject to the reservation that I disagree completely that there should be common European legislation to regulate the commercial rearing of rabbits. Experience in other sectors has shown that such regulation ends up reinforcing the commercial advantage of larger scale enterprises to the detriment of smaller units. Especially in the smaller member states, many of the smaller units are traditionally run on a family basis. Their operations follow inherited practices. The markets they service are basically families living in the neighbourhood of the farm.”
Rabbits are the fourth most farmed animal in the world, with an estimated 340 million rabbits slaughtered annually in the EU.
Maltese Version – LIĠI KOMUNI EWROPEA DWAR IT-TROBBIJA TAL-FNIEK KONTRA L-INTERESSI TAL-OPERATURI FI STATI ŻGĦAR TAL-UE
Liġi Ewropea proposta dwar it-trobbija tal-fniek tmur kontra l-interessi tal-operaturi tat-trobbija tal-fniek fl-istati membri żgħar tal-UE li diġa` għandhom kompetizzjoni inġusta minn operaturi fi stati membri kbar u anke minn operaturi fi stati mhux membri tal-UE. Jekk dawk li jrabbu l-fniek fi stati żgħar jiġu mġiegħla josservaw regolamenti u kontrolli ġodda, il-kompetittivita` tagħhom se tkompli titnaqqsilhom. Dan qalu l-Kap tad-Delegazzjoni Laburista fil-Parlament Ewropew Alfred Sant meta spjega r-riżervi tiegħu favur il-vot dwar il-mozzjoni ‘Standards minimi għall-protezzjoni tal-fniek fl-irziezet.’ “Ma naqbilx li tidħol liġi Ewropea li tirregola t-trobbija kummerċjali tal-fniek. Mhux aċċettabbli li dawn l-operaturi żgħar jiġu f’dis-sitwazzjoni. Dawk li jrabbu l-fniek fi stati Ewropej żgħar diġa` qed iġarrbu x-xokkijiet ta’ suq dejjem jiċkien kif ukoll kompetizzjoni inġusta, inkluż minn operaturi tal-fniek mhux fl-Unjoni Ewropea. Il-konsum tal-laħam tal-fenek huwa tajjeb għas-saħħa. Allura minflok nikkunsidraw aktar regolamenti fuq setturi ta’ skala żgħira, jkun aħjar li noħolqu miżuri ġodda, nazzjonali u Ewropej, li jippromwovu din l-attivita`,” irrimarka Sant.
Il-mozzjoni tawtorizza lil Kummissjoni Ewropea tfassal l-abboz ta’ liġi li tistipula l-istandards minimi għall-protezzjoni tal-fniek tal-irziezet. Dan jista’ jkun l-ewwel pass lejn il-projbizzjoni tat-trobbija tal-fniek fil-gaġeġ bħalma sar dwar il-produzzjoni tat-tiġieġ.
“Il-vot tiegħi għal din ir-riżoluzzjoni huwa favur dawk il-miżuri li jtejbu l-kundizzjonijiet tal-ħajja tal-fniek mrobbija għall-kummerċ tal-laħam tagħhom. Iżda għandi r-riżervi tiegħi għaliex kompletament ma naqbilx li tidħol liġi Ewropea komuni li tirregola t-trobbija kummerċjali tal-fniek. L-esperjenza f’setturi oħra uriet li regoli bħal dawn jispiċċaw biex jagħtu vantaġġ kummerċjali lill-intrapriżi l-kbar għad-dannu tan-negozjant iż-żgħir. Dan huwa minnu speċjalment fi stati membri żgħar fejn dan il-kummerċ isir fuq skala ta’ familja. Ix-xogħol tagħhom wirtuh mill-familjari ta’ qabilhom. Is-suq li fih ibiegħu huwa bażikament magħmul mill-familji ġirien tar-razzett tagħhom.”
Il-fniek huma r-raba’ l-aktar annimal imrobbi fid-dinja, b’madwar 340 miljun fenek jinqatlu
fis-sena fl-Unjoni Ewropea.
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