Brussels' parliamentary Environment Committee members began discussions on Wednesday regarding the proposed Animal Welfare Code drafted by Minister Clerfayt. They will not, however, hold a vote on it before the elections in June.
The text put on the table by the opposition Francophone liberals MR, Flemish right-wing N-VA and Christian Democrats CD&V, alongside Julien Uyttendaele (PS) and Jonathan De Patoul (DéFI), mimics the project proposed by Animal Welfare Minister Bernard Clerfayt (DéFI) and was broadly agreed upon by Minister-President Rudi Vervoort's (PS) government.
Despite being in the midst of an election campaign, the Francophone socialists PS resisted introducing the project to Parliament fearing amendments, particularly the introduction of a prohibition on slaughter without stunning.
The opposition, generally satisfied with the proposal from Clerfayt during Wednesday morning's session, consequently took up the text to adopt just before the end of the legislature. However, 30 MPs (predominantly PS) requested that the draft ordinance be reviewed by the Council of State.
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Time constraints mean the Council of State will not be able to deliver its decision in time for a thorough article examination, or for further debate and voting before the elections.
Wednesday morning's general discussion will at least have shown that the draft Code will have no difficulty passing after the June ballot if it is re-tabled, given the almost unanimous support for its content, which does not address the issue of slaughter as it stands.
