Animal Protection as Part of EU Development Strategy

Abstract

The article is an attempt to organize considerations of animal protection within the framework of the new EU development strategy. The European Green Deal is a comprehensive strategy to transform the EU into a modern resource-efficient and competitive economy, which takes into account all dimensions of sustainable development, including animal protection. Member States are required to develop and implement strategic plans approved by the European Commission to implement the new strategy. The article is of a scientific and research character. The author put forward research hypotheses and tried to prove them within the framework of the conducted analysis. First, the coronavirus crisis highlighted the importance of a robust and resilient food system and the interconnectedness of animal health, supply chains, and public health. Second, with sustainability as a cornerstone of the EU’s functioning, undesirable interplay can also be observed with respect to biodiversity, climate change, and other environmental issues. Climate change can affect the emergence of new diseases, the prevalence of existing diseases and the geographical distribution of pathogens and vectors, including those that affect wildlife. Thirdly, in order to ensure high animal and public health standards and rational development of agriculture, legislative solutions at the EU level should be put in place which would contribute to the completion of the internal market and to preventing the spread of communicable diseases. This legislation should also ensure, as far as possible, that the existing animal health status of the EU is maintained and promoted. The results of the study are original and innovative, which makes them a valuable source of knowledge.