The European Commission registers initiatives in the field of animal welfare and food labelling

The European Commission has registered two new European citizens’ initiatives related to livestock farming and food labelling.

The European citizens’ initiatives are “Stop Cruelty Stop Slaughter” and “Stop Fake Food: Origin on Label.”

Through a European Citizens’ Initiative, citizens can invite the European Commission to propose related legal acts.

The Italian organizers of the ‘Stop Cruelty Stop Slaughter’ initiative want the European Commission to introduce incentives for the production of plant-based proteins, including plant-based milk and egg substitutes, as well as cultured meat. They call for a reduction in the number of farm animals and for the gradual closure of all animal farms.

Those behind the ‘Stop Fake Food: Origin on Label’ initiative are calling on the European Commission to propose measures to ensure that European consumers have access to transparent information about the food they buy and that their expectations regarding food quality are met and sustainability are met.

The European Commission has not yet analyzed the proposals. A decision to register them will not affect any action it would take if the initiatives were supported by at least one million EU citizens.

Before an initiative can be examined by the European Commission, it must collect at least one million signatures and gain a certain threshold of support in at least seven EU countries. More than half of the 116 registered topics did not achieve this target.

The organizers now have six months to open the signature collection. If an initiative receives at least one million expressions of support within a year, the European Commission will have to respond.

Details of the two initiatives
Those responsible for the ‘Stop Cruelty Stop Slaughter’ initiative say factory farming and slaughterhouses pose a constant threat to public health and hygiene problems such as Salmonella.

They want plans to gradually reduce the number of farm animals, by 50 percent of the number of animals per year, and to gradually close all animal farms. They want the action to start with factory farming, followed by free-range farms and slaughterhouses.

Organizers said closing such sites and using EU funding to encourage the switch from existing livestock farming activities to those involving plant-based or cultivated proteins would be a valuable tool to prevent new diseases. They also mention benefits for animal welfare, the environment and antibiotic resistance.

The organizers of the ‘Stop Fake Food: Origin on Label’ initiative want the origin of all products entering the EU to be clearly indicated and that these items comply with the environmental, health and labor standards that apply in Europe.

Having stricter origin requirements would help prevent fraud, protect public health and guarantee consumers’ right to information. Reference to country of origin or place of origin would avoid generic references such as non-EU.

They are calling for more border controls on food at European and national borders to stop scams that harm farmers and consumers and to ban the import of food processed with substances and methods banned in Europe.

“Unclear and perhaps deliberately ambiguous indications of origin provide opportunities for misleading geographic identity, false product identity and product misrepresentation, and facilitate counterfeiting,” the initiative said.

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