What happens in Europe is important not only for animals in Europe, but worldwide, as it sets an example of what's possible, said well-known bioethics professor Peter Singer at a conference in Brussels on EU’s planned revision of animal welfare legislation.
Held at the Royal Library of Belgium last Wednesday (7 June), the conference gathered hundreds of participants. The event was hosted by Eurogroup for Animals’ member organisations from 26 Member States, members of the European Parliament, representatives of the European Commission, and other stakeholders.
Professor Singer, 76, is a Princeton University professor in bioethics and moral philosophy known for his focus on utilitarianism and altruism. His groundbreaking book ‘Animal Liberation’ brought him recognition in academic spheres and beyond and his new book, ‘Animal Liberation Now’, was just published this year.
"This book brings fully up to date the ideas I presented in 1975,” he said. “Since then there has been a significant improvement in the conditions in which hundreds of millions of animals live in Europe, especially those in factory farms. Nevertheless, these reforms still fall far short of what is required for us to treat animals ethically, and without speciesism.”
The book includes an introduction by the renowned Israeli historian Yuval Harari, who denounces factory animal farming because it treats animals not as living beings that can feel pain and distress but as machines.
Singer says that he wanted the book to remain updated and relevant in the 21th century, among others in view of the threat of climate change which was hardly discussed when his first book was published.
In a recent op-ed, Singer warned about the devasting impact of methane emissions in agriculture on both the climate and animal welfare. He concluded that mankind should at least half its consumption of meat and other animal products. Methane is a powerful greenhouse-gas. “We don’t have time to wait a century,” he told The Brussels Times.
By ‘speciesism’, Singer refers to our disregard for ‘non-human animals’ and the tendency to ascribe an inferior status to them and regard them not as individuals but as objects. It is not much different from racism where people ascribe an inferior status to other people not belonging to the same ‘race’, religion, and nation.
Peter Singer emphasizes that animals are sentient beings and feel the same pain as humans when you do certain things to them. “The basic element is taking into account of the interests of the being, whatever those interests may be, and this consideration must, according to the principle of equality, be extended equally to all beings with interests irrespective of their race, sex, or species.”
The animal welfare NGOs act as the representatives of the animals and want to give them a voice. Is there a risk that it could lead to disregard of human sufferings in wars and conflicts?
“No, it isn’t either animals or humans,” he replied. “Compassion or empathy for animals does not exclude compassion for humans. “We should spread compassion everywhere.” Compassion is a basic human feeling and is reinforced if felt for animals and humans alike.
Animal welfare is one of the most important moral issues today, he says. While some reforms have been implemented by some states in the US, he is worried about the exploding demand for animal products in China, where now multi-storey-buildings are being built for breeding pigs. He pins his hop on the EU. “The EU institutions have the opportunity to be a leader.”
Ethics philosophers still discuss whether humans are allowed to kill animals for food. It seems that Singer has changed his views somewhat since he wrote his first book about animal rights. He has admitted that he is no strict vegan. The principle of equality should be applied to all sentient beings, but he accepts reluctantly the breeding and slaughtering of animals on certain conditions.
“We have to be pragmatic and move things forward. There is no point in asking for the ideal solution.” That solution would probably imply that mankind should stop eating animal meat and replace it by cultivated meat and plant-based food. The less ideal solution is to do our outmost to minimize the distress and suffering of farmed animals, giving them a good life and a death without pain.
The conference took place at a critical moment as the Commission’s impact assessment, based on new scientific evidence, has been delayed. Animal welfare NGOs are now calling on the Commission to uphold its commitment to animal welfare and to ensure that the new legislation will result in better protection and less suffering for all farmed animals in breeding, transport and slaughter.
Asked about the three top-priorities in the revised legislation, the MEPs at the conference listed among others an end to the suffering of farmed animals, an end to their confinement in cages, a ban on long live-animal transports, and the inclusion of farmed fish in the legislation.
The present Commission officials were reluctant at this stage to commit to any specific priorities in the legislation. DG Agriculture seems mostly concerned about the interests of the farmers and the budget for the transition period for the changes. European agriculture will have to continue to be competitive on the world market.
The importance of securing a budget to protect farmers and support them in transitioning to cage-free systems was also stressed by DG Health and Food Safety.
MEPs also expressed their desire to have an Animal Welfare Commissioner to ensure more accountability. The task should ideally be attributed to the Commissioner for Health and Food Safety. A survey carried out in 2021 in 10 EU member states showed that ca 70 % of the respondents were in favour of a Commissioner specifically in charge of animal welfare.
Currently there is no Commissioner for animal welfare. The current Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, is engaged in animal welfare but this was not always the case in the past and might change again in next Commission if the issue is not regularized, according to MEPs across the political spectrum who signed the petition.
M. Apelblat
The Brussels Times
