Vote for Animals 2024
- News
- Michèle Dressel
Placing animal welfare at the centre of the European elections
The "Vote for Animals" campaign, launched by Eurogroup for Animals, aims to put animal welfare at the centre of the upcoming European elections. The campaign encourages candidates for the European Parliament to take a pledge for animals. It also aims to inform citizens about the importance of this election for animal welfare in Europe, to motivate them to vote, and to help them find candidates who share these values. The nationwide association Doctors Against Animal Experiments supports the campaign of its umbrella organisation.
As part of "Vote for Animals 2024", candidates for the European Parliament are encouraged to sign a pledge for animal welfare in which they clearly state that they will work to improve animal welfare if they are elected to the European Parliament. The pledge consists of ten asks which, in addition to a paradigm shift to animal-free science, include ending the suffering of animals during transport, campaigning for better protection of domestic, wild, and aquatic animals, and a ban on fur farming.
European citizens have already very clearly called on the EU to do more for animals on several occasions. Six out of ten successful European Citizens' Initiatives relate to animal welfare, including the demand of over 1.2 million citizens to put an end to animal testing in Europe (1). Recent Eurobarometer surveys show that a majority of EU citizens want better protection for animals. A survey conducted in 8 countries in November 2023 (2) shows a clear demand for a paradigm shift towards animal-free research and teaching.
During the current parliamentary term, a significant number of MEPs have brought to light critical issues such as fur farming and the cruel transport of live animals. MEPs also voted in favour of a phase-out plan for animal testing with an overwhelming majority of 97% in September 2021. (3)
The Vote for Animals campaign page is available in all official EU languages and allows citizens to ask their MEPs to sign the declaration via automated email delivery.
"The European elections on June 9th 2024 are hugely important for animal welfare in general and for phasing out animal testing in particular," commented Dr Corina Gericke, Vice-Chair of DAAE. "By supporting the campaign, we hope to get as many candidates as possible to sign the Animal Welfare Pledge. Please join us!"
Refrences
- Europopean Citizen's Initiative against animal experiments ended successfully. DAAE, press release 01.09.2022 (in German) >>
- 77% of EU citizens want a transition to non-animal science. Eurogroup for Animals, News 04.04.2023 >>
- 97% of Members of Parliament vote for plan to phase out animal experiments. DAAE, 22.02.2023 (in German) >>