Important EU Animal Health Laws May be Dropped Following Brexit

Back when the UK was a part of the European Union, approximately four fifths of the most significant animal welfare laws were negotiated.

A procedure which determines whether an EU legislation should stay part of UK law is the Retained EU Law (REUL) Bill. By the close of next year, almost 2,500 must be sifted through and evaluated.

If any laws have not been looked at by a certain point, they may be routinely dropped since, without ministerial action, they will be automatically repealed.

David Bowles, head of public affairs at the RSPCA, expressed that “hard-won laws that we take for granted now, such as the bans on battery hens, cosmetics testing on animals and growth promoters given to farm animals are now at risk and could be lost.”

“If lack of commitment from the new administration results in the time running out before the filtering process of those 44 key pieces of animal welfare legislation can take place, those laws will automatically vanish into thin air.”

“We must not allow animal welfare standards to drop as a result of the UK government’s determination to create a bonfire of EU laws,” he added.
The RSPCA is urging the next administration to repeal the Bill, or prolong it until the 2026 time limit, so that more can be looked at.

Defra arguably has the most difficult job since it is accountable for 570 of these.

Almost half of the 44 pieces of legislation carried over that require filtering are about farm animals – but others defend wild animals, animals in science and pets.

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