GUE/NGL MEP Bairbre de Brún's report allowing for five countries to continue applying more stringent regulations regarding the non-commercial movement of domestic animals for the next 18 months, while ensuring that pet owners can continue to travel across EU borders with their pets was approved today by the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
After the vote, Ms de Brún said "The modified regulation acknowledges the progress made so far and so that the rabies situation in the EU can improve even further, it extends the life of a transitional regime in five Member States until 31st December 2011, at which time provisions on the non-commercial movement of pets will be the same across the EU."
"Great progress has been made to date in eradicating rabies but this transitional regime for 5 Member States will allow even further progress to be made to get rid of the threat altogether. It will allow countries in which rabies is not present to keep their animals protected."
The de Brún report, which was agreed at its first reading, is the first legislative text of its kind to go through the European Parliament since ratification of the Lisbon Treaty and it includes the new scrutiny procedures allowed for by the Lisbon Treaty.
Led by Ms de Brún, all three institutions, including groups across the political spectrum in the European Parliament, were able to agree on how these new powers would be implemented for this revised regulation.
Vote result: + 618, - 17, Abstention 5