A historic decision for the welfare of companion animals in the EU has been made by the Councils’ Working Group of Veterinary Experts, just a few days after an international conference on ‘Dog Responsible Ownership in Europe’, where the EU was asked to take over this issue. This act, expected to be passed by the Council of Ministers, might originate the greatest improvement for companion animals’ welfare in European history. Today the Council’s Working Group agreed the recognition of dog and cat welfare as an issue where EU legislation has to be harmonised because of deep discrepancies among the different member states. So far, the welfare of companion animals had been considered as part of subsidiarity and, as such, entirely delegated to member states. This new decision follows many years of growing EU commitment to animal welfare, visible in the new Article 13 of the Lisbon Treaty, in some legislation and in the first Community Action Plan on the Protection and Welfare of Animals 2006-2010, whose second part is expected in the coming months. The international conference ‘Responsible Dog Ownership in Europe’ organised by Vier Pfoten/Four Paws and Istituto G. Caporale, held in Brussels on 4 and 5 October 2010 in the presence of over 100 participants from over 25 countries, made clear that most member states were failing to respond adequately to dog overpopulation, to the increase of stray animal population in general and to EU citizens’ concerns on dog – and other companion animals – welfare.
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