On Wednesday 7 October, a new attempt to place the Brussels Animal Welfare Code on the agenda of the Environment Committee failed. Once again, MR opposed the opening of the parliamentary debate. Yet Brussels remains the only region in the country without a comprehensive Animal Welfare Code. Several proposals are currently on the table and could lead to concrete progress for animals.
MR is blocking a Code it claims to support
The situation is all the more difficult to understand given that MR has been claiming for several years that it wants Brussels to adopt an Animal Welfare Code. The party even submitted its own proposal for a Code in 2024. Despite this, it continues to prevent the issue from being placed on the agenda, even though MR itself chairs the Environment Committee.
It’s time to stop saying one thing and doing another. MR chairs the committee, says it wants a Code, has tabled one itself, and yet for months it has been preventing the debate from taking place. Today, MR itself is the biggest obstacle between its commitments on animal welfare and actually delivering on them
On 22 April, MR and Les Engagés, supported by PS and PTB, had already blocked the opening of the debate. Les Engagés now supports putting the Code on the agenda, as does Groen. In opposition, DéFI and N-VA also support opening the debate.
Despite this support, the Code remains blocked.
Even public mobilisation is not enough
In September, GAIA called on Brussels residents to support an official petition asking Parliament to finally examine the Animal Welfare Code. The required number of signatures was reached.
MR promised that the petitioner would be heard by the Committee, but no date has yet been set. And there is still no guarantee that the Code will subsequently be placed on the agenda.
The proposals exist, citizens are mobilising and an increasing number of parties are calling for the debate to begin. Yet the political deadlock continues.
Meanwhile, animals are still waiting
The Brussels Animal Welfare Code covers very concrete measures. These include a ban on slaughter without stunning, which has already been in force in Wallonia and Flanders since 2019.
In September, GAIA installed large billboards at Place de la Monnaie and Place De Brouckère to call on Brussels politicians to break the political deadlock.
Today, the conclusion remains the same: Brussels cannot continue to be the only Region in the country without a comprehensive Animal Welfare Code.
