Council of State backs bill to curb animal suffering during ritual slaughter

The Council of State has given a mostly favorable assessment of Esther Ouwehand’s (Partij voor de Dieren) bill aimed at reducing animal suffering during slaughter. Among its provisions is a proposal to make stunning animals mandatory before ritual slaughter. The Council notes that there is now a greater scope than in the past to prioritize animal welfare when considering limits on religious freedom.

This conclusion is based on recent rulings from European courts. “This case law does not mean that member states of the European Union are required to ban ritual slaughter without stunning,” the advisory opinion states. “However, it does mean that a ban on ritual slaughter without stunning is not, under certain conditions, incompatible with freedom of religion.”

The Council of State finds that Ouwehand’s bill and its explanatory memorandum offer enough background and context for a thorough parliamentary debate on introducing a requirement to stun animals prior to ritual slaughter.

The bill also seeks to prohibit the trade of pregnant mammals for slaughter once they are more than 40 percent through their gestation. However, the Council notes that the practical and legal feasibility of this measure still needs clearer justification before the proposal can be sent to the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament.

Ouwehand said that the bill was prepared with great care and with sensitivity to the concerns of religious communities. “It’s excellent news that the Council of State has given its approval,” she said. “There is no truly humane way to slaughter animals, which is why we must move toward a more plant-based society. At the same time, we need laws that reduce needless and intense suffering wherever possible, and this positive advice from the Council of State brings that goal significantly closer.”