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European Livestock
Protecting animals at market and during transport
At the end of 2000 and the beginning of 2001 German investigative group Animals’ Angels published some horrific video footage from Belgian livestock markets. As a result eleven European animal welfare groups banded together with the aim of lobbying for the creation of a European Livestock Markets Directive as EU law currently doesn’t touch on this. Many European livestock markets allow unspeakable cruelty towards animals and are filthy, allowing the rapid spread of disease; the problem exists throughout the European Union, not just in Belgium, and Animals’ Angels also uncovered malpractice in Ireland and Spain. It is unbelievable that European law accepts that animals are ‘sentient creatures’ (Treaty of Amsterdam, 1997), then neglects to treat them as such!
At the same time, Naturewatch began its Help the Horses campaign, focusing on the long-distance transport of horses to Italy for slaughter. Current EU legislation allows for rest breaks for transported animals and adequate supplies of food and water, but research by Animals’ Angels and Naturewatch showed that these laws were being routinely ignored. Together with other welfare groups throughout Europe, Naturewatch demanded a total eight-hour journey time limit, as opposed to the 24-hours currently allowed by EU law.
Naturewatch supporters have successfully lobbied MEPs for both campaigns, with the end result that British MEPs are putting continual pressure on the European Commission to revise legislation. However, rather than create a new Directive for livestock markets, they are demanding that markets be covered in the revisions to the existing Transport Directive. Whether a new Directive is created or existing laws are expanded and improved, the important thing is that animals receive adequate protection, both at market and during transport.
News from 2002: Caravan aid in Yugoslavia; Naturewatch delegation visits Brussels; what the Naturewatch campaign has achieved.
