Politica agricolă comună – perspective de reformă în creşterea animalelor

Abstract

The Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) has traditionally promoted a large expansion in agricultural production. The scope of the agri environment measures will be widened to make financial support available to farmers who make extra animal welfare improvements. Respect for statutory animal welfare standards will have to be met at farmers' own cost, but the EU will provide support to farmers who enter into voluntary commitments to meet standards which go beyond established animal husbandry practice, providing better animal health and welfare conditions. Farm support too is now geared specifically to consumer concerns and public priorities. A far cry from the policy that once offered subsidies in response to the quantity produced, CAP support is now dependent on meeting quality, environmental and food safety guarantees, in line with the priorities of the European public – our farmers finally have back the freedom to farm to market demand. And in removing the incentives to overproduce, our reforms have also made the CAP less trade-distorting and better able to take account of the needs of developing countries. Increasing numbers of European consumers are concerned about the welfare of the animals that provide them with their meat, eggs and dairy products. It is a principle underlying EU policy that animals should not be subjected to avoidable pain or suffering. This is reflected in clear rules on the conditions in which hens, pigs and calves may be reared and in which farm animals can be transported and killed. These rules are regularly updated in the light of new scientific data, and are some of the most rigorous in the world. Research shows that farm animals are healthier, and produce better food, if they are well treated and able to behave naturally. Physical stress (e.g. from being kept, transported or slaughtered in poor conditions) can adversely affect not only the health of the animal but also the quality of meat.