Worldlog 25 January 2016 - Hoofdinhoud

The Netherlands is currently President of the European Union. During this presidency, animal welfare should have first priority. After all, this EU Presidency is the perfect opportunity to do something about the long-distance animal transport within Europe or the Rumanian stray dogs being brutally slaughtered on a large scale. Last week during a European Parliament debate with Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the Party for the Animals was the only party to demand attention for the fate of animals.

A few months ago, the Dutch government made a promise to promote the idea of animal welfare in Europe during its presidency. Naturally, my colleague and the Party for the Animals’ MEP Anja Hazekamp and I will closely monitor whether this promise is kept!

On 6 April, a referendum will be held in the Netherlands on the planned association agreement between the European Union and Ukraine. The Party for the Animals is against the agreement.

At present, there is a lot of controversy around this agreement, which is why I believe it would be a good idea to ask citizens for their opinion. However, it appears that both Ukraine and the European Union have long started implementing the association agreement, despite the fact that it has not even been ratified yet! This way, the values of democracy are simply brushed aside once again. What if the outcome of the Dutch referendum will be ‘Against’? Is there still a way back? I have put forward parliamentary questions on this subject to our Prime Minister. To be continued.

Research has shown that the fur collars on children’s coats contain high concentrations of the highly toxic chemicals formaldehyde and ethoxylate. In some cases, the levels of formaldehyde and ethoxylate measured on the examined collars were up to 30 times higher than is permitted by the Textile Regulations. Such high concentrations are known to be extremely carcinogenic, to cause irritation and impair fertility. So fur is not only a very cruel and unnecessary fashion product, it is also a danger to the consumer, particularly to children. I have asked the State Secretary to take these coats off the market and warn consumers of their health risks. Fur farms have recently been prohibited in the Netherlands. Let’s stay the course by now dealing with the sale of fur.

Then there is some good news that I would like to share with you. Hong Kong has announced plans to ban the trade in ivory and impose heavier penalties on illegal trading. This is great news for the conservation of the elephant and it sends a strong message to the world.

It has been several weeks since the turn of the year, so it is a bit late for New Year’s resolutions. Nevertheless I would like to share with you this article entitled ‘5 ways to be a climate-friendly eater in 2016’. After all, eating less meat, more vegetables and more local and organic products not only benefits your health, but also your living environment. If that is not a win-win situation, I don’t know what is!

Until next time!

Kind regards, Marianne