EPO - Annual general meeting, in the Interzoo Daily, Issue 3
Published on
27/11/18
Latest news
EPO Statement on the European Parliament amended proposal on dogs & cats
Whilst acknowledging the importance of the EU proposal for a regulation on the welfare of dogs & cats & their traceability, EPO raises its concerns regarding the handling with regards to pet stores following the adoption by the European Parliament on June 19th, 2025 of its amendments. As the voice of the pet sector at EU level, EPO would like to acknowledge the importance of such a proposal, for both the welfare & traceability of dogs & cats while raising its concerns regarding the handling of registered pet stores. This proposal – the first of its kind at EU level – marks a milestone for the pet sector, aiming to improve the welfare and traceability of dogs and cats within the internal market and imports, while seeking to establish harmonized EU standards for breeding, housing, and handling in commercial settings, and to combat illegal trafficking by making identification and registration mandatory. However, our sector is extremely concerned by the handling of pet stores in the adopted amendments of the EP of June 19th, 2025 – which bans the sales of dogs and cats at store level. More specifically, Amendment 289 that was added prior to the vote which completely disregards the final report from the EP AGRI Committee of June 10th, 2025 which acknowledged the role of pet stores as “selling establishments” – thus acknowledging the role of legitimate & registered pet operators.... EPO finds it hard to believe that the intention behind this regulation is to introduce a new category of registered pet operators—allowed to sell dogs and cats under the new provisions—simply to avoid banning an entire segment of activity from the European market. This comes at a time when the sector is already structured around registered pet stores, which sell dogs and cats, alongside registered breeders and shelters. In this regard, EPO now calls the Council to consider acknowledging all stakeholders from the pet sector, including the private one with retailers, whilst finalizing this important regulation, this to ensure a WIN-WIN implementation of a tangible regulation. In a context of multiple crises at all fronts (in the EU and beyond the EU), it is essential more than ever to safeguard the EU economy by preserving all existing registered operators of the pet sector while improving the welfare conditions of dogs and cats. You can read the complete statement here
27/06/25
EPO held its Annual AGM at Zoomark 2025
On May 6th, 2025 EPO held its annual General Assembly at the Zoomark edition 2025 (Bologna, Italy). While reviewing and discussing EPO workplan and activities, EPO members renewed two positions of its Board. Andreas Popper (WKO, Austria) and Frédéric Amblard (PRODAF, France) have been elected as Vice Presidents. The EPO Board is now composed of - Svein A. Fosså (NZB, Norway), President- Andreas Popper (WKO, Austria), Vice President- Frederic Amblard (PRODAF, France), Vice President- Gerrit Hofstra (DIBEVO, Netherlands), Vice President- Norbert Holthenrich (ZZF, Germany), Treasurer
19/05/25
EPO raises its concern on the handling of the EU proposal for new rules on the welfare & traceability of dogs and cats
EPO issued a statement to raise its sector concern on the handling of the EU proposal for new rules on the welfare and traceability of dogs & cats - following the adoption of its opinion by the European Parliament ENVI Committee on April 8th, 2025. EPO is now calling the members of the EP AGRI Committee, responsible on this file, to acknowledge its sector's concerns while this file is being finalised. In its statement, EPO mentions: “Whilst we would all wish to strengthen the welfare and protection of dogs and cats within the European Union and those imported from third countries, we do not consider that the key elements proposed in this Opinion serve to significantly strengthen such welfare but may actually detract from it. In particular, the proposal for evaluation of an EU-wide positive list of pet species, which only serves to detract and diminish from the regulatory objectives sought which solely pertain to dogs and cats. Any attempt to use this draft Regulation to provide the legal framework to establish an EU-wide positive list of pet species is considered to be a gross misappropriation of the draft Regulation and in itself is a key shortcoming in that we consider positive lists to be a negative solution for protecting the welfare needs of companion animals and protecting the health of animals, humans and the environment under a One Health approach. Should the Rapporteur’s Opinion be in relation to dogs and cats, then it should remain solely to dogs and cats i.e. the subject of this draft Regulation and the objective in ensuring traceability to prevent the illegal pet trafficking of dogs and cats. Rather than deviating to matters which are not within the intended scope and which would require a systematic change and likely be in breach of WTO trading rules. Recourse to a One Health approach fails to recognise that the central tenet of One Health is teamwork i.e. interdisciplinary approaches involving stakeholders who are traditionally siloed from each other to benefit animal, human and environmental health, recognising their inter-relatedness and inter-connectedness. One Health also promotes education and in this instance, the desired outcome of this draft Regulation is to ensure traceability of dogs and cats entering the Union and intra-EU movement and to prevent spontaneous purchases, especially via online trade whereby such purchases are literally ‘one click away’. The key elements expressed in this Opinion do not represent a holistic approach but achieve the exact opposite in being narrow, limited and restrictive, as well as being potentially unworkable and unenforceable. Last but not least, our sector is also concerned about the consequences of the call made in this opinion to ban the sales of dogs and cats from pet stores. While going against the proposal’s principles setting at its core traceability and the transfer of responsible pet ownership, it also directly bans a horizontal economic activity at EU level. A critical step when the proposal aims to cover the full chain of custody from breeders to pet owners, and securing traceability”. The complete statement can be read here.
16/05/25
EPO welcomes BolognaFiere Cosmoprof as associate member
On May 6th, 2025 EPO welcomes a new associate member with BolognaFiere Cosmoprof (Italy) , organiser of Zoomark. This important step further strengthens Zoomark’s institutional role and confirms its commitment to supporting responsible pet ownership and encouraging dialogue throughout the supply chain — from the international business community to pet-owning families. As a leading platform for industry professionals, with over 1,300 exhibitors and 30,000 professional visitors from all over the world expected at its 2025 edition, Zoomark becomes an even more strategic player in promoting growth, sustainability, and innovation in the pet sector. “Our membership in EPO represents a significant step forward in Zoomark’s growth and mission,” says Enrico Zannini, General Director of BolognaFiere Cosmoprof. “We are proud to support the values of responsibility, transparency, and cooperation that EPO stands for, and we’re convinced that this partnership will offer new opportunities for sharing expertise, addressing key regulatory developments, and strengthening the voice of the pet sector in Europe.”
07/05/25