The Ministry of the Ecological and Transition is bowing down to positions of an age gone by in the defence of the "circus" decree which has been attacked by One Voice

Animal rights have changed, so One Voice wrote to the Ministry of the
Ecological and Solidarity Transition and to the Ministry of
Agriculture and Food asking them that the decree “circus”¹
published in 2011 should be cancelled. We need to prohibit the
possession of all wildlife in these institutions and finally, order
their immediate transfer to “sanctuaries”.

One Voice had
based its application on several elements: in particular the fact
that animals held in captivity have a new status² that defines them
as sentient beings. They enjoy the same fundamental rights such as:

• the right
  to a life compatible with the biological imperatives of the species
  concerned, whose well-being is an integral part

• the right
  to integrity or to life (unless otherwise necessary),

• the right not to be abused, tortured or abandoned,

• the right
  not to be used in a way that is not abusive.

With no response
from the two ministries, the One Voice association appealed to the
State Council to decide on its requests. The case was to be closed at
the end of March by the High Court without the relevant ministries
having decided. The Minister of Agriculture has remained quiet for
the time being, but against all odds the Ministry of the Ecological
and Solidarity Transition filed a brief on March 1^st 2018
so that the demands of the association are rejected !

And yet the
minister of state, Nicolas Hulot, himself had declared in August 2^nd
on France Inter not being in favour of live animal shows adding that
there were forms of cruelty commonly admitted which were
inadmissible.

According to the
Ministry of Ecology, the “circus” decree would sufficiently
protect animals from the wild because it provides: firstly that
animals “must be maintained and trained in conditions that are
designed to meet their biological needs and behaviours, to ensure
their safety, well-being and health“, on the other hand that
the conditions of accommodation of animals comply with the minimum
requirements set by the same decree, depending on the species, and
finally that animals “shall be allowed to move freely in outdoor
facilities each day unless the weather conditions or their state of
health do not permit“. And as such, the authorizations granted
to the circuses would respect the needs of the animals…

One Voice intends
to replicate this argumentation to make it understood that wild
animals have no place in itinerant businesses, as is also claimed by
many independent scientific authorities based on objective concepts
of animal welfare. Many countries are adapting their regulations in
accordance with this new scientific evidence, and France remains bent
on its positions from a bygone age.

¹ The
inter-ministerial decree of 18^th March 2011 setting the
conditions of detention and use of live animals of non-domestic
species in itinerant shows.

² Article 515-14 of
the Civil Code.