We have launched a toolkit to help animal advocacy groups engage their followers in the EU’s revision of its animal protection policies

Right now, the European Commission is in the process of revising its animal protection policies.

This is very likely to be one of the most important opportunities for animal welfare progress on a legislative level that we have ever seen in the EU.

The next step in the process is based on this survey. We highly recommend watching the survey Tutorial Video while filling it out. Read more below. 

Since this is a survey, you can look at the analysis of the final results as a popularity contest - you can directly measure how many people have filled in the survey with pro-animal welfare answers. We should therefore as individuals and organisations be very motivated to do our very best to engage our followers to complete the survey. 

Note that even if your group is not operating within an EU member state, your participation is still very important - read more below.

This survey is addressing crucial topics, such as:

• How long should we allow cage-egg production to exist in the EU?
• Should the EU restrict imports of animal products not living up to the welfare requirements in the EU?
• Should we allow chickens to be stunned in electric baths at slaughterhouses?
• Should we prohibit the live transport of animals for slaughter outside of the EU?
• Should we prohibit beak trimming of chickens?
• Should electric prods be allowed in slaughterhouses?
• Should we ban tail-docking of pigs?
• Should we ban castration of pigs?
• Should we allow pigs to be stunned with CO2 gas?
• Should fish have better protection at the time of slaughter?
• Should fur farming continue to be allowed?
• Should we ban the dehorning of calves?
• Should we allow the systematic killing of male chicks?

The deadline for completing the survey is 21st January 2022.

The EU is particularly interested in hearing from the public and we can help engage them in this important survey. Anima International has produced a simple toolkit in order to help organisations engage their followers. We have two main products that are designed to support this work:

• A survey tutorial video
• Variations of engagement videos to be used on social media and for advertisements

1. Survey tutorial video

We have developed a survey tutorial video based on how Eurogroup for Animals has answered the survey. We have created it in a way that it will briefly give context for each section and motivate your followers to complete the survey. It is produced in such a way that you can even listen to it in the background while filling in the survey. This video can e.g. be used in an email marketing campaign to engage your followers to take the survey. You can also use it on a landing page and use our engagement video to generate traffic towards it.  

See your options for using this or creating your own tutorial video in our toolkit. 

2. Engagement videos

Above you can see two examples of our engagement videos. They are created in order to drive traffic towards the survey tutorial video from your social media channel. While the tutorial video is 10 minutes long, the engagement video is produced to be very brief and will be max 1 minute.

They are constructed in blocks, which will allow you to design the video with the topics most suitable for your organisation. 

See your options for getting your own versions of these videos in our toolkit. Anima International will be able to create such videos in your language. 

Is this relevant if my group is not operating within an EU member state?

Yes it is. While this survey is primarily focused on welfare regulations within the EU, there’s a crucial section about imported products. 

This section allows you to answer that you believe imported animal products should live up to the same requirements as those that apply to EU production. As a result of the campaign “End the cage-age” the EU has already announced that it will be moving forward with a ban on cages. 

If the EU decides to restrict imports of e.g. cage-eggs this can have significant impact on the work to change this production to cage-free in non-EU member countries that currently export to the EU. 

Anima International recommends

For animal advocacy groups:

• If possible, use our toolkit to produce a tutorial video in your own language and spread this to your followers.
• Use our offer to create engagement videos for you. Use these videos to create traffic from social media / advertisements towards the tutorial video.
• If you don’t have the capacity to produce content in your own language, use our English tutorial video.
• Engage all your staff and volunteers in a friendly competition to get as many of their family members and friends to complete the survey.

For individuals:

• Complete the survey and share the tutorial video on social media.
• Engage your family members and friends to complete the survey by sharing the tutorial video with them.
• Share the tutorial video in the online groups you are part of, where it could be relevant content.

Thank you for everything you’re doing for the animals.