§ Mr. MorleyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he intends to support the proposal by the German Government that article 3 of the EC treaty should be amended to include among the activities of the Community a contribution to the improvement of animal protection; and if he will make a statement. [20946]
§ Mrs. BrowningAt the intergovernmental conference, we have made clear our view that there should be a formal, legal obligation on the Community to take account of the welfare requirements of animals in specific areas such as agriculture and transport. The draft protocol that we tabled last July would achieve this aim. Germany has made a slightly different proposal, which also recognises the Community's role in improving animal welfare, but is more generalised in its scope. We believe that the more 627W specific approach we have proposed is more likely to lead to the result we seek and is therefore the better of the options.