Intrinsiek belangrijk. Een stappenplan voor de belangenafweging rond de intrinsieke waarde van het dier

Abstract

The report was prepared and written on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV). It is primarily intended for policy makers and staff involved in topics that relate to animals. Section 1 describes the reason and purpose of this report: to establish a policy-supporting framework for weighing up the intrinsic value of animals. The criteria this framework must comply with are also stated. Section 2 describes the background and definition of intrinsic value. This is done by elaborating on how the intrinsic value of the animal is included in the Dutch Animals Act, which choices were made in this respect from an ethical perspective, how this is currently interpreted and the practical consequences. It also elaborates on interests and values as central elements in the process of deliberation that must be followed as a consequence of recognising the intrinsic value of animals. Section 3 contains the step-by-step plan that ultimately forms the policy support framework. The user of the step-by-step plan proceeds through 12 steps. This process presents and clarifies the interests that are involved and which must be deliberated on, and proposes a framework to balance the interests. The step-by-step plan can be used to support policy and further choices and can also be used to clarify, explain or justify policies and the associated choices in a structured and transparent manner. Section 4 illustrates the stages in the step-by-step plan taking two cases as examples. The examples concern the performance of physical interventions on animals in the livestock farming sector. Although the examples are based on practices in the animal husbandry sector, the steps in plan can be applied to any context in which the intrinsic value of the animal has to be weighed up and balanced. The examples in this section aim to show readers how the step-by-step plan works and provide guidance on how to use the plan. We hope that the examples will clarify the step-by-step plan and make it actionable in practice. The examples are purely illustrative. They are not intended to be used to benchmark existing practices or decisions or to attach a value judgement to them. The chosen scores of the relevant interests in particular are indicative. Different scores may result if the cases used as examples are discussed with a wider group of stakeholders.