Animal husbandry in danger: Will the new animal protection law become a threat?

Animal husbandry in danger: Will the new animal protection law become a threat?

In Berlin on Monday evening there was a hearing in the German Bundestag on the amendment to the Animal Protection Act, which was met with great interest. The discussion was significantly influenced by Albert Stegemann, the agricultural policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, and the rapporteur Astrid Damerow. Both politicians expressed clear concerns about the new regulations, which they believe will cause more harm than good for animal husbandry in Germany.

Stegemann sharply criticized the plans presented. He considers the draft law to be a step in the wrong direction, which could ultimately endanger animal husbandry in Germany. “The bill in this form only leads to the gradual abolition of animal husbandry in Germany,” emphasized Stegemann. He also expressed concern that Federal Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir is deliberately bringing about these developments. According to Stegemann, a common legal framework within the EU is crucial for effective and targeted animal protection.

Excessive bureaucracy and distrust

Damerow agreed with this criticism and emphasized that the regulations now planned not only create a disproportionate amount of bureaucracy, but also promote legal uncertainty. “A revision of our very good animal protection law must have a noticeable added value for the well-being of our pets, wild and farm animals,” she explained. But the current draft, according to Damerow, not only ignores the needs of the animals, but also creates mistrust towards the animal owners who are responsible for the well-being of their animals in Germany.

Stegemann and Damerow are particularly concerned about measures that are to be taken in the context of the so-called torture breeding paragraph. Instead of reducing animal suffering, these could actually lead to an increase in animal suffering. The experts heard during the hearing confirmed Stegemann and Damerow's concerns, reinforcing their opposition to the bill.

The CDU/CSU parliamentary group not only sees itself as a representative of the centrist parties, but also sees a clear commitment to freedom, cohesion and personal responsibility of citizens. The idea behind the approach to animal husbandry is that animal welfare that meets the needs of animals must also respect and promote the responsibility of animal owners. This view is also clear in the statements by Stegemann and Damerow, who call for a strong and comprehensible legal framework in order to achieve real progress in animal protection.

The debate about the new law not only calls into question the practice of animal husbandry in Germany, but also raises fundamental questions about the right path to effective animal protection. Stegemann and Damerow further emphasize that a constructive examination of the challenges of animal welfare is necessary in order to find long-term solutions that benefit both the animals and those responsible for animal husbandry.

There is a detailed report for background information and further details on the topic on www.presseportal.de available.