Bills relating to animal welfare tabled by the PAN and CHEGA Parties have been approved at the first reading and vote by the Portuguese parliament and referred to the committee stage, while other bills on the same subject were rejected.
MPs rejected bills tabled by Livre, JPP and the Left Bloc in Wednesday’s session.
PAN, represented by Inês de Sousa Real, tabled two bills: one to establish a register of people convicted of animal cruelty offences, so that organisations within the sector can be aware that such individuals are barred from adopting pets; and another bill criminalising bestiality, which, she points out, “is not clearly punishable” under current law.
CHEGA is also proposing the creation of a national register of those convicted of animal cruelty, with MP Lina Pinheiro raising the question of who currently ensures that someone who has mistreated an animal and been convicted does not do so again.
Jorge Pinto, representing LIVRE, tabled a draft bill establishing a National Council for Animal Welfare and Protection – a proposal he had previously put forward which was rejected but which, he believes, is important because it monitors policies and compliance with the law.
Fabian Figueiredo, speaking on behalf of Bloco de Esquerda, tabled a bill to ban the sale of items such as electric collars and other coercive devices which, he said, “are absolutely unnecessary” for the training of pet animals.
Another bill, from JPP, sought to restrict the export of live animals by sea to third countries that do not comply with animal welfare standards. This bill attracted the most criticism, explains Lusa – first and foremost from the PS, with Pedro do Carmo raising the issue of producers’ incomes.
During the debate, Paulo Núncio, speaking for CDS-PP, said of the proposals that “we must not make a mockery of ourselves” – and that he would vote against them all, while Paula Santos, speaking for PCP communists, was also dismissive, arguing that “many pieces of legislation” on animal protection have already been passed.
source: LUSA
Natasha Donn
Journalist for the Portugal Resident.