MEP calls for 'stricter' rules for Europe's zoos

An MEP has thrown his weight behind calls for stricter rules on conditions in Europe’s 1,500 zoos

The call, by UK Liberal deputy Chris Davies, comes amid mounting concern that EU laws on the protection of zoo animals is not being enforced properly.

Davies was a keynote speaker at an event in parliament on Tuesday to discuss the ‘success or failure’ of the EU zoos directive.

Davies told the hearing, organised by ALDE, that application of the directive in member states is “at best, rather poor.”

He said, “What is needed are tighter minimum standards of animal welfare and protection for animals in zoos.

“The problem is that zoos trade between each other and application of the directive, since it was introduced in the late 1990s, has been rather poor.

“I and many MEPs get more correspondence about animal welfare than any other issue. The public perception of zoos and the conditions in which animals are kept in such places is very negative.

“These are Europe’s forgotten animals and the EU needs to be doing something about this issue.”

Daniel Turner, coordinator of ENCAP, which campaigns for animal welfare, said, “Tens of thousands of animals are kept in Europe’s zoos and the potential for compromised animal welfare and suffering is great.

“While one aim of the directive was to ensure minimum welfare standards there is significant evidence that these are both insufficient and, in many cases, rarely enforced.

“Several member states have yet to implement aspects of the directive and even in countries where it has been fully implementted, animal welfare remains an ongoing concern in zoos.”

Other speakers included Will Travers, CEO of the Born Free Foundation, and UK Greens deputy Caroline Lucas, a member of the intergroup on animal welfare.

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