"The world has continued to turn": Merkel's government gives up after years - the animal welfare label has failed

Angela Merkel's GroKo wanted to adopt an animal welfare label four long years ago - but this legislature was not successful either.

The SPD is angry.

Berlin - According to the coalition factions, the planned state logo for meat from better animal husbandry will no longer come about until the federal election - thus a several-year-old plan of the grand coalition has failed for the second time.

"The Animal Welfare Marks Act will no longer come in this legislative period," confirmed Union parliamentary group vice Gitta Connemann of the dpa.

For this it should have been on the Bundestag agenda by last week at the latest, that was not the case.

SPD parliamentary deputy Matthias Miersch told the dpa that the drafts at hand were “absolutely inadequate”.

Therefore, the SPD does not agree.

He again insisted on mandatory labeling.

Angela Merkel's last weeks of government: animal welfare label passé - almost two years after the cabinet decision

The cabinet had already launched legislative plans from Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner (CDU) in 2019 - but since then they have been stuck in the Bundestag. They are aiming for a logo on a voluntary basis. As with the organic seal, higher standards than legally stipulated should be able to be highlighted on the packaging. To do this, however, they would have to adhere to binding criteria - for keeping in the barn, as well as for transport and slaughter.

The fact that the animal welfare label is no longer coming was not due to Minister Klöckner, Connemann let it be known.

The grand coalition agreed on an animal welfare label.

"However, the world has continued to turn since the coalition agreement," said the CDU politician.

In the meantime, the trade has developed a way of labeling the animals.

“This is now known nationwide and established on the market.

A state animal welfare label would now only have added value if it were mandatory.

A binding form of husbandry and identification of origin would therefore be required. "

Animal welfare label fails for the second time after 2017 - SPD raises allegations: "Klöckner did not do homework"

It is precisely such a mandatory label that Miersch and the SPD would advocate.

"What is needed is a mandatory animal welfare label that is based on clear criteria for the keeping, transport and slaughter of pigs, cattle and poultry," he explained.

To this day, however, there have been no criteria that would be supported by a broad social consensus.

Work on it in an expert commission around ex-head of department Jochen Borchert has not yet been finalized.

"The Federal Minister of Agriculture has not done her homework," said Miersch.

You did not give the Commission sufficient support.

The ministry points out that a mandatory logo introduced only nationally would not be feasible under EU law.

Klöckner has also advocated EU-wide animal welfare labeling.

Large supermarket chains had rushed ahead in 2019 and introduced their own uniform labeling for meat.

The logo with the inscription “Posture Form” has four levels, which, however, start with the statutory minimum standard and not just above it.

Plans for a state animal welfare logo had already been pursued by the previous grand coalition with the then Agriculture Minister Christian Schmidt (CSU).

They were not completed until the 2017 election.

(

dpa / fn

)

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