Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

Parliamentary questions

source: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+WQ+E-2013-006942+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN

14 June 2013

Question for written answer
to the Commission
Rule 117
Oreste Rossi (EFD)

Subject:  Situation of animal rights in Serbia

Since 1 March 2012, Serbia has officially been a candidate for accession to the European Union. Despite the significance of the European Council’s approval, it is right to comment on the situation to date regarding the protection of animal rights in Serbia.

A number of local voluntary associations have denounced the current state of the system of catching and holding stray animals: specifically, they describe the circumstances in shelters in two Serbian towns, Temerin and Subotica. In the first of these, activists maintain that there is a clear and serious failure to comply with the laws in force in Serbia regarding the protection of animals. According to the reports, in the Temerin shelter, strays caught in the neighbouring areas are looked after for just three to seven days before being put down in accordance with former regulation No 29 of 1994 although, as the volunteers point out, this was replaced by the 2005 veterinary law a few years ago. More specifically, Article 168 of the law in question prohibits the slaughter of animals, unless they have been caught in areas where there is a rabies epidemic. For these reasons, I believe that the Temerin shelter not only fails to comply with the law, but can also be identified as a place where abandoned animals are kept for a few days before being slaughtered. As regards the Subotica kennels, which house over 1 000 dogs and has for two years been managed by local volunteers, the local authorities have recently stated that it will be closing due to a failure to comply with the rules governing its operation. According to the volunteers, although the complaints made by the authorities may be correct, there are no other places in Serbia where conditions are better, and closure will only lead to the resumption of the very widespread practice of slaughtering stray dogs in the area.

In view of the above:

Parliamentary questions

10 July 2013

Question for written answer
to the Commission
Rule 117
Jill Evans (Verts/ALE)

 Subject:  Treatment of dogs in Serbia

From the information I received it was reported that the dogs suffer cruelty at the hands of the workers: they are starved to death and beaten to death with clubs in an attempt to save money by reducing the number of dogs that are killed by the expensive toxin T61. They are brutally sterilised by unqualified veterinary assistants and many die as a consequence of this butchery. The conditions are filthy and many of the dead dogs are left in the same cage as other dogs. Due to this brutal abuse, it is reported that the dogs are extremely nervous and scared.

Over the past few months, there have been a number of discussions regarding the process of accession of potential future Member States of the EU, including Serbia. It would seem that much positive action will be needed on their part in order to fulfil the acquis for consideration in the area of animal welfare.

— Does the Commission condemn the state’s treatment of dogs?

— Does the Commission agree that action must be taken in response to the contravention of EU animal welfare laws?

— What steps will the Commission take to ensure that positive action is taken by the Serbian state to improve these conditions and hold those responsible accountable for their actions with regard to the state’s potential accession to the EU?

Last updated: 25 July 2013