Animal Welfare: UK Relations with EU
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking, in the context of the UK–EU SPS negotiations, to pursue animal welfare measures, including a ban on foie gras imports, in the context of representations made by foie gras industry interests to EU institutions.
Answered by Dame Angela Eagle
This Government shares the British public's high regard for animal welfare and is committed to delivering the most ambitious animal welfare programme in a generation as set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy. It has made clear that the production of foie gras from ducks or geese using force feeding raises serious welfare concerns.
As announced at the UK-EU Leaders' Summit on 19 May 2025, the UK and EU have agreed to work towards a sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement. Negotiations with the EU on this are underway and Defra cannot comment on these ongoing discussions. However, this Government is clear about the importance of being able to set high animal welfare standards.
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