Clause 2 — Addition to list of treaties
Orders of the Day
5:00 pm
Rob Marris (PPS (Rt Hon Shaun Woodward, Secretary of State), Northern Ireland Office; Wolverhampton South West, Labour)
Perhaps I can assist the hon. and learned Gentleman. I might be reading this differently from him, but article 13 of the treaty on the functioning of the EU states:
"In formulating and implementing the Union's agriculture, fisheries, transport, internal market, research and technological development and space policies, the Union and the Member States shall, since animals are sentient beings, pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals".
That is an obligation on the UK as a member state of the EU, and one that I welcome. The hon. and learned Gentleman's amendment, as I understand it, would remove that obligation.