Today, 27 newly released documents shed light on the significant pushback from industry lobbyists against recent advancements in animal welfare science. These papers challenge the latest scientific opinions issued by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Today, 27 newly released documents shed light on the significant pushback from industry lobbyists against recent advancements in animal welfare science. Obtained through Freedom of Information Requests, these papers challenge the latest scientific opinions issued by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the EU’s food safety watchdog.
Investigative journalist Thin Lei Win secured these documents as part of an in-depth investigation conducted last year, published by Lighthouse Reports in collaboration with The Guardian and other media outlets. The exposé revealed how the meat lobby exerted significant pressure on the European Commission and its agencies, contributing to a legislative standstill in the much-anticipated revision of the EU animal welfare laws, including the Commission’s commitment to ban caged farming.
The 27 newly released documents raise critical questions about the influence of industry lobbyists on policy-making in the EU. Tactics employed by Big Agriculture include aggressively dismissing scientific evidence. Notable excerpts from their communications include:
Olga Kikou, Director of Advocacy at The European Institute of Animal Law & Policy and organizer of the ‘End the Cage Age’ European Citizens’ Initiative, stated: “These new documents reveal the meat lobby’s aggressive attempts to undermine the robust scientific evidence on animal welfare presented by the European Food Safety Authority. Europeans have a profound concern for animal welfare, yet EU animal protection laws have been stagnant for over a decade, despite claims to the contrary. We commend journalists for shedding light on the industry’s dirty lobbying tactics. It is essential for us, citizens, to ensure that politicians prioritize the public interest over the demands of a select few, whose primary goal is to avert progress for the sake of private profits.”
The ‘End the Cage Age’ European Citizens’ Initiative gathered 1.4 million verified signatures from across the EU and is the only Initiative that prompted the European Commission to commit to implementing all its requests. However, the Commission failed to propose a ban on cages by the 2023 deadline, leading Olga Kikou and the six other organizers to take legal action against the Commission.
Our Legislative Advocacy Manager, Gabriela Kubíková, has been quoted in an article by Zach Boren, “Inside Big Ag’s plot to kill the EU Green Deal”. The article reveals how Copa Cogeca, the federation of European farming interests, undermined and pushed back against the EU’s green farming commitments – including by using delay tactics to slow the lawmaking process.
We’re one of the NGOs included in Food Ingredients First’s coverage of the Livestock Strategy. “The European Institute for Animal Law & Policy struck a […] cautious tone,” they write. “It noted that the strategy “creates no legal obligations” by itself and that the cage phase-out is not yet dated. Still, it welcomed the fact that there are now concrete dates for legislative proposals.”
The European Commission revealed its Livestock Strategy today, adding yet another document to the Commission’s announced reforms for farmed animals. But announcements alone will not improve the lives of animals. We will continue the fight, with other animal advocates and concerned citizens, to make sure the Commission follows through on today’s announced reforms.
