[ar-jan]

Thanks for the background regarding the firefighters.

As for the chickens: you are linking to what look like current regulations in Germany. At issue is the Animal Health Regulation (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L:201...) which will be in effect from 21 April 2021.

There is a statement that there should be exceptions for pet animals, but these exceptions did not make it into the regulation for chickens. The Netherlands argued for this but did not find support, and is currently trying to arrange for exceptions. It is not fake news.

[shawabawa3]

There's nothing in this that requires pet keepers to register their animals. There's no specific mention of chickens (a few mention of "chicks or hatchlings of other species")

If for some reason you believe "obligation of operators to register establishments" would apply to individual pet owners (I don't believe it does, as earlier in the document "pet keepers" are separate from "operators") - there's a clause to allow exceptions: "Member States may exempt from the registration requirement certain categories of establishments posing an insignificant risk"

The only thing in the entire document that applies to "pet keepers" is ... [to] be responsible for:

(i) the health of kept animals;

(ii) prudent and responsible use of veterinary medicines, without prejudice to the role and responsibility of veterinarians,

(iii) minimising the risk of the spread of diseases;

(iv) good animal husbandry;

There are some further restrictions to do with moving pet animals between member states

[ar-jan]

I will admit I did not read all 212 pages of the regulation. I doubt you did.

I'm trusting here that the Dutch minister of agriculture is being accurate in her letter to parliament describing ongoing issues [0].

0: https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/kst-28286-1062.html

[shawabawa3]

(using google translate)

"For example, holders who only have a few pieces of poultry must also comply with requirements for I&R and there will also be obligations for holders of animal species for which no requirements currently exist, such as bees, bumble bees and camel-like animals. The Netherlands has argued against these requirements when drafting these new regulations, but received little support from other member states and the EC. The EC indicated that it can allow Member States to grant exceptions to these obligations."

So it's up to member states if they want to require owners of pet chickens to register them

[ar-jan]

That's exactly what I was saying with "and is currently trying to arrange for exceptions." The EC could allow exceptions, but they haven't yet actually allowed for them.

[mpweiher]

Possibly they haven't "yet" actually allowed for them because the regulation isn't "yet" actually in force?

[mpweiher]

> there should be exceptions for pet animals

OK, so what's the problem? After all, this won't come into effect until about a year and a half from now and it seems that there is agreement that there should be exceptions.

Given that, what makes you certain that there won't be exceptions?

> is currently trying to arrange for exceptions

You seem to be certain that this will not succeed. Why?

> It is not fake news.

Hmm...it's not in effect, there seems to be some agreement that there should be exceptions and exceptions are being worked on. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[ar-jan]

The problem is that this exception is not currently in place, and that it is still uncertain if it will be possible to implement. The fact that the European Commission has previously disregarded this specific concern despite attempts to have it addressed does not inspire confidence.

I don't know what will happen, but this situation is concerning to many people. Also consider that the news plays a role in policy making (for better or worse), i.e. some added pressure from advocates may help to get the needed exceptions in place.

[mpweiher]

> this exception is not currently in place

And neither is the regulation.

> this situation is concerning to many people.

That's not the same thing as there being an actual problem.