EP seeks to extend animal cloning ban to offspring, imports

The European Parliament (EP) beefed up the European Commission's initial proposal to ban animal cloning to include the cloning of all farm animals, their descendants and products derived from them, including imports into the European Union (EU), in a vote on Tuesday, said a press release of the EP.

While animal welfare would be respected for the descendants of cloned animals born by means of conventional sexual reproduction, the high mortality rates at all development stages of cloning their progenitor raise significant animal welfare and ethical concerns, said the EP.

Therefore, it extended the ban to cover the germinal products of animal clones, descendants of animal clones and products derived from them.

The ban should also cover animals which are already derived from clones in certain third countries, said the EP.

It added that imports into the EU should only be allowed if the import certificates show that animals are not animal clones or their descendants.

The ban should also apply to imports of animal germinal products as well as food and feed of animal origin, said the EP.

The EP pointed to findings by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) from 2008 that the health and welfare of clones are adversely affected, often severely and with a fatal outcome.

Moreover, consumer research findings indicated that a majority of EU citizens strongly oppose the consumption of food from animal clones or from their descendants, and a majority also disapprove of the use of cloning for farming purposes, on animal welfare and general ethical grounds.

The amended text is expected to convert the legal act into a regulation, which has to be applied directly in all member states.

The co-rapporteurs would then start negotiations with the Council of the EU on the final shape of the law, said the press release. Endit