Europe has to do more to protect its last old-growth forests and foresters working there. The Party for the Animals’ MEP Anja Hazekamp called for this on the European Parliament last week.
The Party for the Animals condemns the Dutch government's fishing policy. Research by nature conservation organisations has revealed that in almost half of the cases (48%) the Netherlands sets fishing quotas that exceed the sustainable limit set by scientists. This means that too many fish are caught on a structural basis and that fish populations are not able to recover.
Our movement for animal rights is growing internationally and the press is increasingly noticing it. Recently, for example, I was interviewed by Italian journalist Sabrina Giannini from the RAI3 television channel, who is making an investigative journalism program. It was about animal welfare in the Netherlands, Italy, and Europe and the international growth of our movement. The interview will be ...
The Animal Welfare Party (AWP) is contesting the 2019 General Election in the United Kingdom, taking place on 12th of December. With six candidates, the party is determined to bring much needed compassion into politics and is striving to create a fairer world for people, animals, and the environment. AWP is asking animal and environmental advocates to support their campaign with a donation. Earlie...
Last week, numerous social organisations raised their concerns about the CETA trade agreement with Canada during a public hearing in the Dutch House of Representatives, organised on the initiative of the Party for the Animals (PftA). If the Dutch House of Representatives or Senate should vote against CETA in December, it will mean the end of the trade agreement, as it will have to be abrogated.
In early November, the Dutch Party for the Animals submitted an initiative on the taxation of animal slaughter, which MP Lammert van Raan will develop into a law in the coming period, enabling the Netherlands to become the first country in the world to effectively create a tax on meat. Van Raan: "The Netherlands is the second largest exporter of agricultural products and is therefore dealing with ...
Early October, our founder Marianne Thieme said goodbye to the Dutch Lower House, after 13 years’ of service. She will continue to work for our ideals outside the Lower House. For now, I will take over her duties as party chair. This means that I will also write the monthly international blogs from now on. I am looking forward to keeping in touch via these blogs with the growing group of people, w...
Last week, the European Parliament led by the Dutch Party for the Animals has put a veto on the so-called guidance on bees. According to a majority of the MEPs, the European Union’s plans are not sufficient to prevent the extinction of bees, butterflies and other important insect species.
Thanks to Andy Meddick, Member of Parliament for the Animal Justice Party in Victoria (Australia), last week the Victorian parliament rejected laws that attack whistle-blowers who expose routine animal cruelty. This is another successful defeat of so-called ag-gag laws, laws that forbid the act of undercover filming or photography of activity on farms, particularly targeting whistle-blowers of ani...
The Dutch Minister of Agriculture Carola Schouten had forgotten about animals in her policy memorandum on a more sustainable form of agriculture, called circular agriculture. The Dutch Party for the Animals’ motion adopted will change this.
More than one and a half million people signed for the European citizens' initiative 'End the Cage Age'. MEP Anja Hazekamp (Party for the Animals, the Netherlands) celebrated this success with the organisers of the citizens’ initiative this week.
The European Parliament wants to end the use of endocrine disrupting agricultural toxins flumioxazin and chlortoluron in the European Union. Last week, a majority of the European Parliament voted in favour of two motions by the Party for the Animals objecting to a prolonged approval of the toxins. The European Parliament’s motions will force the European Commission to reconsider its initial decisi...
The European group of the Party for the Animals (PftA) has asked additional questions to EU Climate Commissioner-designate Frans Timmermans. At this stage, the party does not intend to support his candidacy. During the hearing before the European Parliament last week, Timmermans denied the need for a reduction in livestock in order to successfully fight climate change.
The Portuguese national elections of 6 October have seen a growth in the number of parliamentary seats for Portuguese Party for the Animals People-Animals-Nature (PAN) from 1 to 4, meaning a quadrupling of the only green party in Portugal that is committed to the rights of both animals and people.
Dear followers, dear planet and animal protectors,After thirteen years of fighting in the Dutch House of Representatives for everything that is subject of concern to us - the welfare of animals, nature and the environment - I will stop as party chairman and Member of Parliament as from 8 October next.Last May - after the 24th election that we won since the Party for the Animals was founded - I dec...
The European Commission will carry out an inspection in Romania in response to the horrible transport of 70,000 sheep shipped from Romania to the Persian Gulf this summer. The Commission does not exclude the possibility of a criminal procedure and will await the results of the inspection to 'decide on further action'.This was the European Commission’s response to questions posed by Anja Hazekamp, ...
Last week, the European Parliament Environment Committee objected to the prolonged EU approval of agricultural toxins flumioxazin and chlortoluron, voting in favour of the objection motions tabled by the Party for the Animals.Above-mentioned examples of agricultural toxins are classified in EU legislation as endocrine disruptive and harmful to reproduction. In addition, they are dangerous to fish ...
Last week, Anja Hazekamp, Member of the European Parliament for the Dutch Party for the Animals, was appointed as the new President of the cross-party European alliance for animals, the Intergroup on Welfare and Conservation of Animals. Additionally, Martin Buschmann and Francisco Guerreiro, the two MEPs of the Portuguese and German sister parties of the Party for the Animals, were appointed as vi...
In my latest blog before Summer Recess I announced our world conference "Eco-Crisis: Turning the Tide", which we were going to organise in cooperation with our Portuguese sister party PAN. In early September, campaigners for the planet and animal rights from 28 (!) different countries joined forces in Porto to discuss further cooperation in tackling the ecological crisis. It was marvellous to see ...
“We need a system-wide change. Instead of focusing on economic growth, our economic, social, and political systems should serve the well-being of communities, animals, and ecosystems.” That’s one of the conclusions of the successful world conference Eco-Crisis: Turning the Tide, that took place last weekend in Porto, Portugal. Representatives from 28 different countries were united by the Dutch an...