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Rt. Hon. Sir Alan Beith MPLiberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Berwick Upon TweedWorking for you and the Berwick upon Tweed Constituency all year roundin Northumberland and in Westminster |
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Proof of proper care of animals on long journeys needed - Hall
November 23, 2009 12:00 PM
Fiona Hall MP is raising concerns about the care of animals in transit with other North East politicians.
North East Lib Dem MEP Fiona Hall is calling for proof that animals are given proper breaks on long journeys.
Lib Dem MEP Fiona Hall has asked the European Commission for more information about a new system to record animal transport journey times. Each year around 6 million farm animals are transported huge distances across Europe to be slaughtered or further fattened. Many of these journeys are stressful as animals are transported in cramped conditions for up to 70 hours. Even though there are laws in place to ensure that animals get some rest, water and food after 8 hours of travelling, there are problems in enforcing these rules.
Fiona Hall has written to the Commission to ask whether the new computerised journey log system called TRACES helps to tackle these problems. She said:
"There is no doubt that the new system prevents transporters submitting unrealistically short journey times. However, it is not clear whether time spent on ferries is counted as travelling time.
"Obviously, the time animals spent on board a lorry on a roll-on, roll-off vessel cannot be counted as rest or neutral time. There need to be rules in place that ensure a rest period for animals after unloading at the port of destination. "
Fiona, who also has campaigned alongside charity World Horse Welfare to end the callous practice of live horse export for slaughter, added:
"UK laws that prevent the live transportation of horses abroad for slaughter already demonstrate that a carcass-only trade is the most humane and sensible way to trade meat.
"The ultimate aim is to have animals fattened and slaughtered close to the places where they were born and bred so that only the meat is transported across Europe.
"I will continue to push for EU rules that put British best practice in place across Europe."
Fiona has signed a written declaration calling for a debate in the European Parliament on the issue of horse transportation for slaughter as follows:
The European Parliament,
- having regard to Rule 123 of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas every year approximately 100 000 horses are transported unnecessarily long distances under inhumane conditions into and across the European Union for slaughter,
B. whereas there is well-documented evidence showing that horses are being transported over long distances, causing a variety of welfare problems such as serious injury, disease, exhaustion and dehydration, because of the inadequacies of the existing legislation,
C. whereas there is strong evidence to suggest that Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 of 22 December 2004 on the protection of animals during transport and related operations has not been robustly enforced,
D. whereas a review of Council Regulation (EC) 1/2005 is being carried out by the Commission,
1. Notes the petition collected by World Horse Welfare on the long-distance transportation of horses to slaughter in Europe;
2. Calls on the Commission and Member States effectively to scrutinise World Horse Welfare's dossier of evidence in the context of the Commission's review of Council Regulation (EC) 1/2005;
3. Urges the Member States and the European Commission to robustly enforce Council Regulation (EC) 1/2005;
4. Instructs its President to forward this declaration, together with the names of the signatories, to the Council, the Commission, and the parliaments and government of the Member States.
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