We want to address the European Parliament concerning appointment of a European Office for Animal Welfare and Protection, overriding local legal regulations of the EU countries, that would serve the following roles:
- as a chief legislative organ of the European Union for animal protection;
- as an executive organ, overseeing the implementation of the law in force;
- extrajudicial adjudicating / the last instance appeal organ.
There are numerous local and international organizations which do a lot of work for animal protection, but none of them is authorized to make binding decisions. Also, the scope of interest of most of the existing offices and their competence are limited to selected areas.
Treatment of animals in different countries depends not only on the Law regulations but also on local traditions and culture. In some areas, where animals are treated without respect due to all living creatures, the society approves cruelty and indifference towards their suffering. The appointed Office would serve as a Court of Appeal for cases that could not be solved by the local rights; the highest instance which one could turn to after having exhausted other legal possibilities.
As an official organ, the Office would set up a European authority with powers superior to all other offices and organizations dealing with animal welfare. It would allow to standardize the laws protecting animals in individual countries of the European Union, and raise their standards and requirements, as well as improve the awareness and responsibility for animals in European societies.
Our goal is 100 000 signatures!
