Dear members of the European Parliament,
The Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) follows with great interest the discussions taking place with regard to the own-initiative rapport of MEP Stefan Eck (Germany) that is proposing legislation and minimum standards for farm rabbits in Europe.
Animal health and welfare is a core concern of the FVE. We are therefore pleased to see the interest in this subject. FVE has long called for the setting of legislative minimum standards in rabbit farming.
In our document you can find the key recommendations of FVE on the main topics debated. This document was composed on the basis of input given by veterinarians specialised in rabbit welfare, experts in the field of rabbit research from different EU countries and existing scientific publications. In addition, we also include some background information on rabbit farming and the types of housing used in Europe.