The new animal welfare officer has a background in agriculture. She served as managing director of the Vechta District Farmers' Association (Kreislandvolkverband Vechta) for several years. Animal rights organizations criticize the lack of independence in this position, given that she is also the current Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMLEH) and her commitment to “livestock farming,” whose future she is seeking to secure.

In a summit meeting last week with the State Secretary of the BMLEH, Prof. Markus Schick, at which animal rights activists raised their concerns and demands, he expressed his regret that the strategy for reducing animal testing, which had been developed by all stakeholders, would not be pursued in the near future.

The new animal welfare commissioner announced mandatory video surveillance in slaughterhouses and regulations for online animal trade.

Further information:
https://www.bmleh.de/
https://www.tierrechte.de/