Yesterday, the European Parliament voted in favour of making multiple improvements to the future EU Regulation on animal health (COM(2013)260) by voting in favour of the overwhelming majority of amendments that had been adopted in the Parliament’s Agriculture Committee report. Led by Marit Paulsen, Rapporteur of the Agriculture Committee for this dossier, the agreed amendments should ensure a more focused and holistic approach to the prevention and control of animal diseases which are transmissible among animals or to humans.
 
Despite the positive outcomes, there is concern that the proposal will not go far enough to ensure a proper scope of application regarding specific animal diseases and ensure that animal welfare requirements are respected. Member States are urged to take these considerations on board in their discussions and negotiations with the Parliament in order to reach an agreement on the final legislative text, not expected before the second half of 2014.