(Strasbourg/26.11.2022) In a resolution adopted by the European Parliament by a large majority, the European Commission is called upon to sustainably improve EU regulations for wild and exotic animals kept as pets in the EU. The core component of the demand is the introduction of a scientifically based EU-wide positive list of animals that may be kept as pets under appropriate animal welfare conditions without harming populations in the wild and biodiversity in Europe.

To date, the legislation on the trade and possession of wild and exotic animals has varied greatly in the EU Member States - some animal groups are not even considered in the current legislation. The introduction of a uniform EU positive list can create clear rules and would leave no room for interpretation for implementation in the member states.
In Germany, hundreds of thousands of wild and exotic animals are offered for sale as "pets" every year - making Germany one of the largest sales markets for exotic pets in the world. "It is unacceptable that there is no political will to introduce a positive list in Germany. Germany should aspire to play a pioneering role in animal welfare and species protection - regardless of the context," Ripa firmly demands.
Animals with an aggressive and dangerous nature as well as animals that pose a risk to human health would be excluded from the positive list. In addition, the positive list would not include species for which there is evidence that they pose a risk to the native ecosystem if they escape or are released into the wild.

Ten countries in the EU have already decided to introduce a positive list, including France, Belgium and the Netherlands. The introduction of such a list is currently being discussed in a further nine countries. "The Commission should now swiftly comply with our demands and make the introduction of a uniform EU-wide positive list mandatory for all member states. However, in many EU countries, the provisions already in force are not being applied and implemented sufficiently. The reason for this is the lack of staffing and the lack of technical expertise of the competent authorities in the EU member states. The core problem for the illegal trade in wild animals therefore remains the lack of control and prosecution by the authorities. Effective enforcement control must therefore be created and the necessary technical and human resources made available," concludes the MEP.

(Background: The call for a positive list was first included in the EU Biodiversity Strategy adopted by the European Parliament in June 2021. Around a year later, 19 member states spoke out in favor of introducing an EU-wide positive list in the European Agriculture Council. The EU Commission is currently examining this proposal).