Brussels, 22/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 22 January, three organisations (Compassion in World Farming, Eyes on Animals and Animal Welfare Foundation) called on the European Commission to put an end to the export from the EU to third countries of live farm animals, after enquiries revealed suffering inflicted on the animals.
According to these three European animal welfare organisations, around 3 million farm animals are exported to third countries every year. The animals are especially exported to Turkey, the Middle East, Russia, Ukraine, Israel and Moldova. Some are exported with a view to slaughter, others for fattening or reproduction.
Investigators from Eyes on Animals, Animal Welfare Foundation and Compassion in World Farming have gathered evidence of serious animal welfare problems during long journeys. A documentary bringing to light the suffering encountered by the animals has been sent to European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy Tonio Borg. The animal welfare associations are calling on the Commission to put an end to this trade and to EU subsidies that are linked to it (export subsidies). The member states concerned by these exports are Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Italy, France, Spain, Greece, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
The investigators discovered, for example, a lorry transporting bulls from Latvia. The animals were destined for slaughter in Iraq, a journey of 4,600 km. The lorry was stuck at the border between the EU and Turkey for six and a half days. During this time, the bulls remained cooped up in the lorry.
Part of the trade between the EU and third countries - the export of breeding cattle - is generously subsidised by European taxpayers. The EU supports exporters to the tune of about €9 million per year. On average, 80,000 cattle are exported with subsidies. “It is ethically unacceptable for public money to be used to promote a trade that often results in suffering”, the organisations write.
The Commission is criticised for actively trying to increase this trade rather than putting an end to it. In a report in 2012, the Commission congratulates Turkey for having increased its imports of live cattle from the EU, and asks it to further expand these imports.
According to the figures provided by these organisations: - around 70,000 cattle from the EU are sent on lengthy journeys to Lebanon (mainly from France and Spain); - France exports nearly 30,000 cattle a year to Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco; - Lithuania and Hungary export around 50,000 cattle per year to Israel; - the EU (especially Romania and Spain) sends more than half a million sheep a year to Libya; - over 60,000 pigs (especially from Denmark and Germany) are sent from the EU to Russia each year; - Germany and the Netherlands sell half a million pigs a year to the countries of the former Yugoslavia; - Germany exports 100,000 pigs a year to Ukraine and Moldova. (LC/transl.fl)