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Two citizen proposals launched for European animal and food laws

by AI | 24.Jul 2024 | Europe in brief AI

From Italy, citizens launch two petitions for European legislative proposals on food safety and animal rights.

Pigs in a breeding farm. PHOTO: Europa Press 10/26/2023

BRUSSELS (ANP) – Two European citizens’ initiatives for European legislation on food and animal rights are supported by the European Commission. It has approved these originally Italian citizens’ initiatives to collect one million signatures from at least seven EU countries. If the organizers succeed, the European Commission will translate the proposals into a European legislative proposal, which will then be sent to the EU member states and the European Parliament for approval.

The citizens’ initiative ‘Stop Cruelty Stop Slaughter’ asks the European Commission to help promote the development of plant-based meat substitutes and to bring them more widely to market. This should reduce the confinement, breeding, and slaughter of animals. The other initiative ‘Stop Fake Food: Origin on Label’ aims to increase transparency about the origin of ingredients and to have this information included on the label.

According to the European Treaty of 2009, any citizen or organization can ask the European Commission to develop a legislative proposal. There are certain conditions attached. Among other things, the European Commission evaluates in advance whether the proposal falls within European competence and does not conflict with European values. After registration, the initiators have six months to collect at least 1 million European signatures.

Since the possibility of the citizens’ initiative has existed, the European Commission has registered 116 citizens’ initiatives.

(July 24, 2024)