No agreement yet

Long wait for better animal protection law

Since the end of 2021, the wait for improvements in animal welfare has continued due to blockades by the ÖVP.

(Bild: Rita Kochmarjova - stock.adobe.com)

According to both sides, they have been working at "full speed" - but the results of the negotiations are still meagre. With the two governing parties still unable to reach a consensus on the animal protection amendment, the Council of Ministers was also unable to reach a decision on the new "pet package" on Wednesday. Can a compromise still be reached?

The Greens and the ÖVP do not have much time left to bring the long-announced second animal protection amendment to the floor in the current legislative period. The long back and forth between the government partners has been characterized by false promises, untruths and tactical considerations, with neither side leaving a good hair on the other's head on this issue. 

The welfare of our pets, but also of farm animals in agriculture, is important to Austrians. It is incomprehensible that such important issues as torture breeding and the illegal puppy trade have become political poker. 

Without compromises on both sides, no progress will be made.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV)

At a summit meeting in the "Krone" in December, there was already a promising draft that provided for improvements in many areas. For example, the controversial "bite and attack training" of dogs in the private sector was to be more strictly regulated and improvements in breeding were also sought. 

Pig fattening is the basis for many farms. The fact that there will have to be improvements in husbandry in the future - keyword: fully slatted floors - is causing uncertainty for some.

(Bild: Sepp Pail)

Much has been promised and promised
However, the Chancellor's party has many whisperers and lobbyists for whom this is all going too far and who want to keep their own sheep in the dry. The issue of "fully slatted floors" has tipped the scales, as there is great uncertainty in agriculture about how pig fattening can look in the future. The ÖVP is demanding a "softened" law on pig farming from the Greens. The animal welfare amendment now has to serve as a compromise for concessions made long ago. 

"Is there more protection for dogs and cats only in return for prolonged suffering for pigs?" criticize animal welfare organizations. For outsiders, it is a strange procedure that what has already been agreed within the government is being discarded and then reintroduced in other issues. 

What can happen next?
As a reminder: The Constitutional Court overturned the transitional period for the abolition of full slatted floors(we reported) and gave the legislator until June 2025 to repair this regulation. If the coalition does not come to an agreement now, this would mean serious disadvantages or even the end for many pig farmers - and nobody can have that in mind. 

There is a lot at stake and the government partners on both sides will not be able to avoid "painful" compromises. According to reports, efforts are being made to find a common path in the short term that satisfies all sides and also keeps animal welfare firmly in mind. It will be interesting to see ...