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  European Union (Withdrawal) Bill - New Clause 7 - EU Protocol on Animal Sentience
  
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  @ MP voted aye for an obligation on Ministers of the Crown and the devolved administrations to pay regard to the welfare requirements of animals as sentient beings when formulating law and policy.
  @ MP voted no against an obligation on Ministers of the Crown and the devolved administrations to pay regard to the welfare requirements of animals as sentient beings when formulating law and policy.
  
  The majority of MPs voted against an obligation on Ministers of the Crown and the devolved administrations to pay regard to the welfare requirements of animals as sentient beings when formulating law and policy.
  
  MPs were considering the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill[1].
  
  The proposed new clause rejected in this vote was titled: ''EU Protocol on animal sentience'' and stated:
  
  :âThe obligation on Ministers of the Crown and the devolved administrations to pay regard to the welfare requirements of animals as sentient beings when formulating law and policy, contained within the EU Protocol on animal sentience as set out in [http://www.lisbon-treaty.org/wcm/the-lisbon-treaty/treaty-on-the-functioning-of-the-european-union-and-comments/part-1-principles/title-ii-provisions-having-general-application/155-article-13.html Article 13 of Title II of the Lisbon Treaty], shall be recognised and available in domestic law on and after exit day.â
  
  The article of the treaty in question states:
  
  :In formulating and implementing the Union's agriculture, fisheries, transport, internal market, research and technological development and space policies, the Union and the Member States shall, since animals are sentient beings, pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals, while respecting the legislative or administrative provisions and customs of the Member States relating in particular to religious rites, cultural traditions and regional heritage.
  
  
  At the time of the vote the treaty was due to cease to have effect as [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:12016M/TXT#d1e2487-1-1 Article 50 of the consolidated (as amended) Treaty on the European Union] states the "[European Union] Treaties shall cease to apply to the State in question" on a state's withdrawal from the European Union" and [https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/604079/Prime_Ministers_letter_to_European_Council_President_Donald_Tusk.pdf the United Kingdom had given notice of withdrawal from the European Union under Article 50] on the 29th of March 2017.
  
  
  
  The rejected new clause was accompanied by the following explanatory statement:
  
  :This new clause transfers the EU Protocol on animal sentience set out in Article 13 of Title II of the 2009 Lisbon Treaty into UK law, so that the obligation on the Government and the devolved administrations to pay due regard to the welfare requirements of animals as sentient beings when formulating law and policy is not lost when the UK leaves the EU.
   
  
  See also:
  
  * [http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2017-11-15&number=40&showall=yes House of Commons vote on the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill â New Clause 30 â Animal Sentience and Animal Welfare, 15 Nov 2017 at 21:45, PublicWhip.org.uk] 
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  * [1] [https://services.parliament.uk/bills/2017-19/europeanunionwithdrawal.html Parliament's webpage on the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill]
  
  
  
  
  
  
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