Video Link – Dogcatchers (Shinters) in Nis City, Serbia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rV5hu-uVJI&feature=player_embedded
24/10/09 – Update.
Further to our correspondence with Commissioner Rehn of 19/10/09,
we have now decided to support this with a petition, the full wording of which follows at the end of this post.
The petition finsihes by declaring:
“Signators of this petion request that Commissioner Rehn now fully investigates if there is actually any animal welfare legislation enforcement by Balkans states requiring EU membership prior to them being granted official EU membership. Or is animal welfare legislation implementation simply being ignored.
We request the implementation of ‘democracy’ and the ‘rule of law’ for all animal welfare issues within Balkans states at all times prior to their EU Accession. Where this is not happening, we rquest the EU demands it prior to accession”.
** To sign the petition, simply click on the following link ** :
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/EU-Investigate-Balkans-Animal-Welfare
The petition is global, international and open to everyone – please support it.
We would especially though love to see lots of support from existing EU citizens; Commissioner Rehn is supposed to be a representative of the EU citizen, so let him know how EU citizens feel about this issue.
Please finish and comment you leave on the petition with wording like:
“I am an existing EU citizen, and I request that the EU Enlargement Commissioner acts on behalf of EU citizens and Balkans Animals”.
Add Your Voice for Serbian Animals Voice !!! – Sign today.
Please feel free to crosspost.
Many Thanks – SAV.
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PETITION WORDING:
Target: European Union Enlargement Commissioner: Olli Rehn
Sponsored by: Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/
Petition overview:
Several Balkans states are now seeking either full membership (Accession) to the European Union (EU), or are attempting stronger links with the EU.
These include: Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, Croatia and Kosovo.
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) has been campaigning for the improved welfare of Balkans animals for several years. We have extensive experience and data relating to the terrible daily suffering inflicted on animals, despite existing Balkan states national legislation which should legally prevent much of this. There is very little evidence to show political and municipal authority enforcement of animal welfare legislation. – details of this on a ‘nation by nation’ basis can be seen via our site at https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/
In October 2009, SAV wrote to Commissioner Olli Rehn; EU Commissioner for Enlargement, expressing our deep concerns regarding an apparent lack of existing national animal welfare legislation implementation and enforcement by governments throughout the Balkan states.
Over 25 ‘prime’ evidence links from the SAV site were provided to Commissioner Rehn, each of these containing many ‘sub’ links, showing extreme Balkans animal suffering video footage which relate to our concerns. A few examples are shown in the following links –
**WARNING – Graphic Animal Suffering**:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZSXlSH4pEA&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sewZvVbQro0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAEfxbysd_Y&feature=channel
We have expressed our concerns to the Commissioner, that even when provided with such evidence, clearly showing extreme animal abuses, nothing with regard investigation and prosecution is being followed up by the Balkans authorities to press charges; to enforce (the) often existing national animal welfare legislation. In Serbia for example, the Public Attorney appears to be dismissing all evidence provided by animal welfare campaigners; instead, they themselves are themselves being accused of “obstructing them (the Public Attorney) from getting on with their legal work”.
In our letter, we have reminded Commissioner Rehn that (on his website) his very own words declare:
“The European Union currently has 27 Member States. The Western Balkan countries, Turkey and Iceland may also join once they meet the conditions for membership. The aim of enlargement is simple: to extend the area of peace, stability, democracy and the rule of law, and prosperity and well-being throughout Europe”.
We draw particular attention to the statement by Commissioner Rehn of – “democracy and the rule of law”, as it is felt that despite Serbian animal welfare campaigners providing large amounts of evidence to Serbian legislators, no action appears to ever be taken by Serbian authorities to apply ‘the rule of law’ – a fundamental condition necessary for EU membership.
If no action (in the form of prosecutions against animal cruelty) is being shown to be taken by Serbian legislators following the production of evidence and documented requests by animal welfare campaigners, then we declare that Serbia is not meeting some of the necessary and fundamental aims of EU enlargement – with regard showing the implementation of both ‘democracy’ (ie. requests by animal welfare campaigners) and the ‘rule of law’ (ie. by not prosecuting perpetrators of causing animal suffering), even when evidence is provided.
As a consequence, Signators of this petion request that Commissioner Rehn now fully investigates if there is actually any animal welfare legislation enforcement by Balkans states requiring EU membership prior to them being granted official EU membership. Or is animal welfare legislation implementation simply being ignored.
We request the implementation of ‘democracy’ and the ‘rule of law’ for all animal welfare issues within Balkans states at all times prior to their EU Accession. Where this is not happening, we rquest the EU demands it prior to accession.
Ends
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** To sign the petition, simply click on the following link ** :
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/EU-Investigate-Balkans-Animal-Welfare
The petition is global, international and open to everyone – please support it.
Filed under: BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA (Capital - Sarajevo), CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, CROATIA (Capital - Zagreb), GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, GLOBAL PETITIONS - Anything Animal, Anywhere !, LETTERS, MACEDONIA (Capital - Skopje), SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia, SLOVENIA (Capital - Ljubljana), VIDEOS | Leave a comment »
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 