Brussels, 18/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - All unnecessary suffering to animals about to be slaughtered must be avoided, while respecting religious freedoms. That, in substance, is the outcome of the vote to tighten up the rules on animal welfare at slaughter in the European Parliament agriculture committee in Brussels on Monday 16 March.
Every year, nearly 360 million pigs, cattle, sheep and goats, plus more than four billion birds and over 25 million animals reared for their fur are...