Animal welfare standards in EU aquaculture to boost competitiveness and food security

Question for written answer E-001689/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Niels Fuglsang (S&D), Robert Biedroń (S&D), Thomas Pellerin-Carlin (S&D), Sirpa Pietikäinen (PPE), Krzysztof Śmiszek (S&D), Tilly Metz (Verts/ALE), Marianne Vind (S&D), Sebastian Everding (The Left), Maria Noichl (S&D), Isabella Lövin (Verts/ALE), Günther Sidl (S&D), Per Clausen (The Left), Michal Wiezik (Renew), Alice Kuhnke (Verts/ALE), Pär Holmgren (Verts/ALE), Christel Schaldemose (S&D) Subject: Animal welfare standards in EU aquaculture to boost competitiveness and food security While up to one billion fish are farmed in the EU each year, there are no rules to protect them. This allows unethical practices to persist. Yet several opinions of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) demonstrate that fish are sentient beings, and nine out of ten EU citizens want better protection for farmed fish. Costeffective solutions are available, with a recent report by environmental economist Griffin Carpenter showing that implementing stunning in EU aquaculture is economically feasible1. The Commissioners for animal welfare and fisheries have reiterated their commitment to modernising the rules on animal welfare and making aquatic animal welfare a priority of their respective mandates. The Commission’s Vision for Agriculture and Food calls for animal welfare standards to be applied to imports in order to boost food security and competitiveness in the EU. In view of the above: 1. Will farmed aquatic...