Considerations on COM(2013)892 - Cloning of animals of the bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine and equine species kept and reproduced for farming purposes

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dossier COM(2013)892 - Cloning of animals of the bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine and equine species kept and reproduced for farming purposes.
document COM(2013)892 EN
date December 18, 2013
 
(1) Council Directive 98/58/EC[14] lays down general minimum welfare standards for animals bred or kept for farming purposes. It calls on Member States to avoid unnecessary pain, suffering or injury of farm animals. If cloning causes unnecessary pain, suffering or injury, Member States have to act at national level to avoid it. Different national approaches to animal cloning could lead to market distortion. It is thus necessary to ensure that the same conditions apply to all involved in the production and distribution of live animals throughout the Union.

(2) The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has confirmed that surrogate dams used in cloning suffer in particular from placenta dysfunctions contributing to increased levels of miscarriages[15]. This contributes, amongst other things, to the low efficiency of the technique, 6 to 15 % for bovine and 6 % for porcine species, and the need to implant embryo clones into several dams to obtain one clone. In addition, clone abnormalities and unusually large offspring result in difficult births and neonatal deaths.

(3) Taking into account the objectives of the Union's agricultural policy, the results of the recent scientific assessments of EFSA and the animal welfare requirement provided in Article 13 of the Treaty, it is prudent to provisionally prohibit the use of cloning in animal production for farm purposes of certain species.

(4) Currently animals of bovine, porcine, ovine, caprine and equine species are likely to be cloned for farming purposes. The scope of this Directive should therefore be limited to the use of cloning for farming purposes of those five species.

(5) It is expected that the knowledge on the impact of the cloning technique on the welfare of the animals used will increase. The cloning technique is likely to improve over time. Consequently prohibitions should only apply provisionally. This Directive should therefore be reviewed within a reasonable time taking into account the experience gained by the Member States in its implementation, scientific and technical progress and international developments.

(6) This Directive respects the fundamental rights and observes the principles recognised by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, and notably the freedom to conduct a business and the freedom of the sciences. This Directive has to be implemented in accordance with these rights and principles.