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News Archive 2008

19/11/2008

Conservatives call for an end to the pain of long distance horse transport

The campaign to improve conditions for horses transported around Europe received a boost today after Conservative MEPs delivered new evidence to the European Commission of the suffering inflicted on horses being transported around Europe for slaughter.

Conservative MEPs were joined by representatives of World Horse Welfare, who presented the findings of a study into the health and welfare effects of these final journeys to European Commissioner for Animal Health, Androulla Vassiliou.

Over 100,000 horses a year are transported long distances around Europe, mainly into Italy to satisfy the demand for fresh horse meat.

The World Horse Welfare study identified multiple infringements of the current EU legislation. Of 63 shipments that they studied between Romania and Italy, only seven were compliant with the current EU legislation.

Many horses exported from Central and Eastern Europe were found to be unfit for travel, with many suffering from both wounds and disease even before getting on lorries.

Conservative MEPs have been campaigning for some time for tougher enforcement of existing EU rules on horse transport, especially on the lucrative routes into Italy and for a limit on the total travel time for long distance horse transport.

Conservative MEP for Wales Jonathan Evans said:

"This study proves once again what we have been telling the commission for some time. EU laws on horse transport are being ignored and whilst this continues, thousands of horses will continue to suffer. The commission needs to take action to either stop these animals being exported at all or to bring in spot checks on these lorries when they arrive in Italy.

"Horses are far more prone to injury than any other farm animal and are not well suited to such long distance travel, especially when in most cases it is completely needless. They should be slaughtered before transport and their meat transported as chilled meat. To transport them for thousands of miles just to kill them only inflicts needless pain and suffering."

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