Last News and Events

18.07.2018 – FOUR PAWS research and police raids in Czech Republic uncover ruthless tiger trade

Prague, 18.07.2018 – Recent police raids in the Czech Republic as well as research by the international animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS show that tiger trade is not only an issue in Asia: The lucrative commercial trade with a highly protected species and their parts is happening right in the centre of Europe as well. On Monday 15th July the Czech police along with custom officers raided properties in Prague and in central and northern Bohemia in suspicion of illegal killing of tigers and possession of tiger products. Today on the 18th July the Czech authorities announced that they seized a recently killed tiger at one of the properties and that…

10.07.2018 – Protecting the EU’s internal market and consumer rights against the negative implications of the illegal trade in companion animals

Today, the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) has voted in favor of the adoption of a Motion for a Resolution on “Protecting the EU’s internal market and consumer rights against the negative implications of the illegal trade in companion animals” FOUR PAWS welcomes this vote, which would result in an official request from the EU Parliament to the EU Commission to tackle the illegal trade of pets issues, if it is confirmed in September during the plenary vote. Specifically, the resolution highlights the need to have mandatory identification and registration of dogs and cats, breeder and seller traceability, as well as an EU Action Plan…

For the third time, after 1998 and 2006, Austria is holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU. As part of the Presidency  Trio Programme with Estonia and Bulgaria, Austria is taking over the Bulgarian Presidency, from 1 July 2018 until 31 December 2018. In line with the slogan "A Europe that protects", the Austrian Presidency intends to focus on three main areas: –         migration, security (securing external borders against illegal immigration) and the protection of the EU’s external borders. –         the future European budget by maintaining Europe’s competitiveness through digitalisation. –         stability in Austria’s neighbouring countries focusing on the EU accession for Western Balkan countries. FOUR PAWS is an Austrian…

3rd Meeting of the EU Platform on Animal Welfare

FOUR PAWS welcomes the creation of the voluntary initiative subgroup on improving health and welfare of pets (dogs) in trade, and of other new subgroups Brussels, 21.06.2018 – The international animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS is one of the members of the EU Platform on Animal Welfare launched by the EU Commission last year. Yesterday the third meeting of the Platform took place in Brussels. FOUR PAWS welcomes the activities of the Platform as an additional forum for stakeholders to exchange views about animal welfare. In particular, FOUR PAWS welcomes the initiative of the Dutch government to establish a new voluntary initiative subgroup on improving the health and welfare of…

Animals should be better protected during disasters

Update of 31th May: The final report has been voted in plenary FOUR PAWS welcomes today's European Parliament's ENVI vote recognizing the key role of animals during disasters The EP Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety has overwhelmingly supported today the consideration of animals in a EU disaster related political text. The adopted report on the Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Decision No 1313/2013/EU on a Union Civil Protection Mechanism, rightly points out the importance to take animals into consideration when planning disaster risk prevention, by suggesting their inclusion in two different parts of the text. Until now, the Union…