In recent decades, animal welfare has become an important legal and social value, increasingly reflected in the legislation, policies, strategies, and priorities of the European Union. A key role in this development is played by Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which defines animals as sentient beings and obliges EU institutions and Member States to take their welfare into account when formulating policies in the fields of agriculture, fisheries, transport, the internal market, research and technological development, and space.
This thesis examines the legal framework for animal protection, with a focus on the evolution of legislation, case law, and the influence of European norms on national legal systems. The first part provides a brief overview of the historical and philosophical development of the human–animal relationship and distinguishes between the concepts of animal welfare and animal rights.
The central part offers a general overview of the current EU regulatory framework concerning animal welfare, followed by an analysis of national legislation, which only recently recognized animals as sentient beings. The conclusion presents a critical discussion on whether the legal framework genuinely protects animals for their own sake or primarily as a response to human moral discomfort.
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