What is a "positive list"?

Animal breeding as a whole is currently not restricted in our country and in most EU countries. Only
the breeding of certain species may be regulated or even banned for conservation, health or other
reasons. These are the so-called negative lists, which are different in each country. It is therefore the
case that every breeder can get any animal for their breeding, as long as it is not listed on negative
list. It is forbidden to keep animals appearing on such a list, reproduce them and sell them. Anyone
who acquired a listed animal before its putting on a negative list, is allowed to keep such animal until
the end of its life. In the Czech Republic, the same regime applies, too. Our negative list includes
listed species that are invasive, fur animals, and some carnivores, rodents, birds, amphibians and
snakes. The so-called dangerous animals are also subject to specific requirements regarding their
breeding facilities. Placing species on negative lists is always well justified.

However, a group of activists from several Western countries is now pushing for the introduction of
so-called positive lists, uniform across the EU. A positive list means that only a few dozen enlisted,
"problem-free" species are allowed to be bred - while almost all species are essentially banned. The
proponents of the positive list argue that the list of banned animals should be significantly expanded
because, according to them, most captive-bred animals suffer. However, such a negative list would
be very long and administratively very demanding. Monitoring compliance would be difficult.
Therefore, they propose a positive list that would only allow the breeding of listed animals, that
would be very few left - and everything else would be banned.