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European Livestock
Protecting animals at market and during transport
June - '03 MEPs rebel against Commission
Despite constant lobbying by supporters of Naturewatch and other animal welfare groups throughout Europe, the European Commission has been continuing to stall in the publication of revisions to the Transport of Live Animals Directive. However, it's not only the animal welfarists who are starting to get angry about the delays.
Earlier this year three British Conservative MEPs, Charles Tannock, Theresa Villiers and Roger Helmer, together with Irish Green MEP Patricia McKenna and Dutch Green Alexander de Roo, proposed a Written Declaration asking that the maximum transport time for livestock should be reduced to eight hours (it is currently 24) and that existing welfare laws should be more tightly enforced throughout the European Union. According to European law, a Written Declaration has to be signed by over half of the Members of Parliament within three months in order to be accepted by the Commission. It is very rare that this ever happens, but on this occasion the response of MEPs throughout Europe was overwhelming - by the closing date of June 10 a total of 333 MEPs from nations throughout Europe had signed up. Surely now the Commission will have to sit up and take notice!
Unfortunately, the Commission is under no legal obligation to adopt the recommendations of a Written Declaration. However, the pressure is intensifying. Charles Tannock explained the situation to us thus: 'This is a political statement of the Parliament binding on the Commission to take notice, but I do not see any way of enforcing it beyond constantly reminding the Commission of its existence publicly. I have called for him [Commissioner David Byrne] to appear before Parliament for a statement and full debate.'
Since then, sources within the Parliament have suggested to us that a compromise might be reached - an 18-hour journey limit with ensured rest breaks included (as opposed to the current 24 hours allowed). While far from ideal, an 18-hour journey time will be a vast improvement, but only if the existing laws and rest breaks are more tightly enforced. The current indications are that the draft legislation will be published in July. We have developed some good contacts in Parliament during this campaign, who have promised to keep us informed of developments as they happen
April '03 - A Cover-up by the Commission?
Naturewatch supporters have campaigned hard to improve European laws concerning livestock markets and long-distance transportation, with the result that the UK MEPs are committed to bringing about improvements.
Following pressure from the MEPs, the European Commission originally agreed to work on amendments to the existing legislation. Last year they organised an online consultation open to all EU citizens, which showed overwhelmingly that European people want more humane treatment of livestock. The Commission originally promised that draft amendments would be available last November. When this failed to materialise, they said it would be January, then March, then ‘in the first half of this year’, but as yet we have seen nothing. In the meantime, transported farm animals continue to suffer.
At a recent meeting of the European Parliament’s animal welfare group, MEPs from a range of Member States expressed their unease about this and voiced growing doubt in the efficacy of the Commission. Naturewatch has written to the Commissioner asking for immediate clarification of the situation. We will inform supporters as soon as we have any further news.
