The country's chamber cannot agree A decision on sows that still have to be 17 years in close racks, locked, moved.

A Sow is with its piglets in a pig photo: Friso Gentsch/dpa

BERLIN afp/ |taz | Friday's planned vote on new rules for pig farming in the Federal Council in the short term, has been discontinued Bay. The regulation could be discussed at the request of a country or the Federal government, in one of the next meetings, explained the Federal Council. This could, at the earliest, 13 the. March happen.

The planned Changes to the animal welfare and livestock farming regulation are controversial, particularly the Confinement of sows in narrow box stalls in piglets.

The corresponding draft regulation of the Federal Minister of agriculture, Julia Klöckner (CDU) deletes the requirement that the animals must be able to stretch out your legs in the Lie. Only after a transitional period of up to 17 years of age, then this "box stands" above cages would have to be a bit bigger than before, and the times of the animals in it will be shortened.

According to a by the Federal administrative court confirmed the judgment of the higher administrative court of Saxony-Anhalt, by 2015, the Box is only under strict conditions regarding the minimum size and the freedom of movement for the pigs allowed.

This will be implemented in the Minister of agriculture, Julia Klöckner (CDU) planned regulation, however, only to a lesser extent. The agricultural Committee of the Federal Council had called for many improvements.

animal welfare organisations have welcomed the postponement of the decision on the vote: "That the Minister of Klöckner could not with their illegal Ordinance draft March through, is a very good sign and shows how controversial and important the issue is," said Rüdiger Jürgensen of the animal rights organization Four paws.

The postponement was due to "the wide Protest of animal welfare organisations. The countries must now use the time and hard to negotiate,“ stressed Jürgensen.

be met with the judgment of The Federal administrative court had to. Jürgensen: "It is incredible that the sows should be unobstructed Stretch out denied. Our view is clear: the Box is a violation of the animal protection law and our Constitution. He should be banned!“