European Horse Network – Equine welfare needs to be addressed by EU’s ‘Future CAP’

Racing equine welfare group, The European Horse Network (EHN) has called for the EU Parliament to ‘preserve equine policy’ within the future structure of Europe’s ‘Common Agricultural Policy’ (CAP).

Led by French MEP Jean Arthuis, EHN representatives expressed concerns about the proposals put forward by the ‘Future of the Common Agricultural Policy’ which would see equine welfare removed from the CAP’s policy framework post-2020.

In its proposed mandate, the EU seeks to simplify CAP’s future provisions with regards to the EU’s pan-national regulatory framework for agricultural businesses, farm owners, suppliers and wider stakeholders.

Within the mandate, the Future CAP sets out ‘nine clear operational objectives’ for European agriculture:

Nevertheless, having reviewed initial Future CAP policies, Arthuis and EHN representatives believe that equine welfare policy has been severely underserved by the EU’s future mandate.

Arthuis states that equine welfare should correspond to the diversification and preservation of land, one of the key objectives of the European-wide agricultural policy.

EHN stakeholders believe that the diverse purposes of equine breeding; racing, sports, tourism and recreation have not been represented by in the CAP new document.

Supporting the EHN actions,French FNSEA agricultural director Daniel Prieur has called for the EU to develop a legal framework for equine breeders, which should be representative of the multiple proposes of horse breeding.

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