International call to Working Party of CVO: Set animal welfare on the agenda and actively participate in the EU's work on new animal welfare legislation

Sweden's presidency of the EU also means that Sweden's official Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) Lena Hellqvist Björnerot, of the Swedish Board of Agriculture, chairs the group of EU Chief Veterinary Officers (CVOs). Ahead of the CVO group's planned meeting in Varberg, Sweden, on 25-28 April this year, Project 1882 has taken the initiative to write a joint letter with requests to the chief veterinarians. Together with Project 1882, another twelve influential animal rights and animal welfare organisations with presence in other EU countries and globally, are signing the letter.

– With this letter, a significant part of the international animal rights and welfare movement is sending clear messages to the EU Chief Veterinary Officers ahead of their meeting on sustainability in Varberg in April. Animal welfare is an important part of sustainability and I do hope that the entire CVO group is inspired by the content of the letter, to put the best interests of animals on the agenda and to use the opportunities they as a CVO group have, to contribute to strengthened animal welfare at EU level, says Camilla Bergvall, President of Project 1882.

The letter urges EU Chief Veterinarians to put important animal welfare issues on the agenda at the CVO meeting in April, and to actively participate in the ongoing legislative process at EU level. They are also invited to participate in a meeting with signatory organisations to further discuss the content of the letter. The letter addresses the following issues:

• Reduced meat consumption and improved welfare for safe and sustainable food production
• A Fur Free Europe
• An end to caged animals (End the Cage Age)
• Strengthened animal welfare for fish
• An end to the distressing and cruel transport of animals
• Enhanced animal welfare at slaughter

The full text of the letter is available here.