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The European Parliament during its plenary session in Strasbourg adopted Written Declaration 49/2011 on the establishment in the European Union of a maximum time limit of eight hours for the transportation live animals to slaughter.
More than half of all MEPs supported this proposal, which was launched by the German organisation Animal’s Angels and Dan Jørgensen MEP, President of the Intergroup.
The declaration calls on both the European Commission and Council to review Regulation 1/2005 on live animal transport within the European Union, with the intention of reducing the maximum time allowed for transport whilst ensuring the European Parliament that during transport animals do not suffer from thirst, stress, injury or even death.
“This is a key moment in a campaign that will end only when it has limited the transport of animals over long distances for slaughter. The Declaration and the collection of one million signatures are part of the 8 hours campaign which calls for a limitation on the transport of live animals for slaughter to a maximum of eight hours. Travel today can last several days, causing extreme suffering to many animals, especially the old and young especially during the warmer seasons and this is completely unnecessary and unacceptable,” commented Dan Jørgensen MEP.
“Animals should be slaughtered as near to their home as possible and the transport of live animals over long distances should be replaced with the transport of carcasses, for the sake of the animals, the environment and the economies of rural areas,” he concluded.
The “8 hours” campaign currently has the support of 126 MEPs, from 19 countries and all political groups and many of the Intergroup’s members have supported this move.
Friday March 16, 2012/ European Parliament Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals/ European Union.
http://www.animalwelfareintergroup.eu
