Positive lists

Positive lists for animals are lists that contain species that are allowed to be kept as pets, while all other species are prohibited.

Overall, the Animal Husbandry Collective is committed to ensure that positive lists for animals are implemented correctly and in a way that balances the needs of animal welfare, human safety, and the fundamental freedoms within the EU.While the intention of positive lists is to protect animals from harm and ensure their welfare, the implementation of these lists can be problematic. The problem lies in the fact that the focus is often on banning as many species as possible, rather than carefully selecting species based on scientific evidence. This approach can lead to a situation where perfectly safe and suitable pets are banned, while other animals that are not well-suited to captivity are allowed.

The Animal Husbandry Collective is closely monitoring the implementation of positive lists for animals in EU Member States and on an EU level.

According to EU fundamental freedoms, positive lists for mammals must adhere to the principles of the free movement of goods within the EU. This means that any restrictions on the keeping of animals must be based on scientific risk assessments, and must be proportional to the potential risks to animal health, welfare, and human safety.

To ensure that positive lists are implemented correctly, the Animal Husbandry Collective monitors their application in all Member States and at the EU level. They ensure that risk assessments are conducted by independent experts and that the process is transparent and based on sound scientific principles.

Additionally, the Animal Husbandry Collective emphasizes that species are only excluded from positive lists if it can be demonstrated that the risks of keeping them outweigh the benefits. This means that species cannot be excluded from positive lists based on arbitrary or non-scientific criteria.

Overall, the Animal Husbandry Collective is committed to ensure that positive lists for mammals are implemented correctly and in a way that balances the needs of animal welfare, human safety, and the fundamental freedoms within the EU.