Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

As you will see in a few of our posts (3 links below) which go back to 2011; we have been involved with supporting the call for an EU wide change in legislation to just 8 hours for all animals in long distance transport.:

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2014/08/08/england-882014-eu-live-animal-transport-update-sav-write-to-eu-commissioner-responsible-for-live-animal-transport/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2011/12/05/eu-europe-wide-a-new-written-declaration-wd-for-animals-in-transport-8-hours-maximum-journey-time-please-get-your-meps-to-add-their-signature-now/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2013/06/17/for-english-supporters-only-do-your-meps-support-the-campaign-for-8-hours-maximum-journey-time-across-europe/

At the moment, transport legislation for animals is covered by Regulation 1/2005 of 22^nd December 2004.  This regulation currently allows different species of farm animals to be transported for different amounts of time, well exceeding 8 hours !

A copy of the existing EU Regulation (1/2005) on the so-called ‘protection of animals during transport’; which includes the current existing journey times for different animal species can be viewed at:

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/ALL/;ELX_SESSIONID=H9tGTlLNGXMCyKSJ6hcKj1mDhvRm2LblcY4zy6h2hTJt21kj3lhz!-1633023516?uri=CELEX:32005R0001

– to view in English, simply go to the ‘EN’ language header; or alternatively select your (EU) language from all others provided.

The following is a summary of the current EU 8 hours campaign from our friends ‘Animals Angels’ in Germany.  There are many EU welfare organisations who are working hard to get legislation passed to reduce the journey time for animals to a one off maximum of 8 hours.

Now that (August 2014) sees the new EU Parliament commencing business with new MEP’s elected earlier this year; we are going to start campaigning once again for the 8 hours max. through the European Parliament, but especially directly to the EU Commission responsible.  It is the European Parliament which, in addition to the Council, has the right to call on the EU Commission to propose new legislation, which in this case would involve drastically reducing the journey times for animals in transport to slaughter and further fattening.

In the near future we will be producing a sample letter which all EU citizens can send to their own regional / national members of the European Parliament or alternatively directly to the EU Commission; asking them to amend the journey times currently detailed in Regulation 1/2005 very, very soon.

The final statement below from AA gives us heart that we are gradually making progress on this very important issue for all farm animals in transport across the EU.

Please read on to find out more in this summary of events from Animals Angels;

Regards Mark – SAV.

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Photo – Jane Jackson.

How does 8hours implement its political objectives?

http://www.animals-angels.com/law-politics/8hours-campaign/how-does-8hours-implements-its-political-objectives.html

Provisions regulating the transport of ‘slaughter’ animals have existed in the EU since 1977. The EU’s currently valid version is the “Council Regulation (EC) No. 1/2005 of 22 December 2004 on the protection of animals during transport and related operations (…)” This regulation deals with the transport of live vertebrates within the EU and provides the respective statutory guidelines.

An amendment of the transport regulation as desired by 8hours can only be made if proposed by the European Commission since it has the sole right to initiate law-making actions within the EU. The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) stipulates that the EU Commission and the commissioners must do their jobs fully independently and for the general good of the communities. Therefore, 8hours cannot directly influence the Commission’s decision to introduce or modify a law. For this reason 8hours decided to go through the European Parliament which, in addition to the Council, has the right to call on the EU Commission to propose new legislation.

The European Parliament

EU Members of Parliament Esther de Lange, Pavel Poc, Carl Schlyter, Andrea Zanoni and Dan Jørgensen drafted Written Declaration 49/2011 for this purpose and introduced it in the EU Parliament in November 2011.

The results of the petition signature drive started by 8hours at the beginning of 2011 were included in the text of the declaration: More than 1 million signatures had been collected by the time voting took place on March 15, 2012. This result contributed considerably to the success of the Written Declaration. A total of 395 Members of Parliament voted in favour of the document and demanded a maximum transport time of eight hours.

Thus 8hours achieved one goal in the EU Parliament: The EU Commission has now been called upon to act accordingly. If it does not submit a legislative proposal it must notify Parliament of the reasons.

The EU-Commission

On June 7, 2012 representative of Animals’ Angels, 8hours and numerous European animal welfare organizations traveled to Brussels to reinforce the arguments of 8hours and Parliament’s request at a meeting with EU Commissioner John Dalli.

The signatures were officially presented to John Dalli’s cabinet. Finally the Commissioner stated on camera that “by 2014 the Commission will publish a legislative proposal.” A few days later, however, a representative for John Dalli retracted this statement without comment.

The revocation of the promise by John Dalli came as a complete surprise to everyone involved. Neither 8hours nor the EU parliamentarians behind the Written Declaration could move John Dalli to make a statement.

In response to these events 8hours offered the opportunity on its official website to write a pre-formulated letter of complaint to the Commissioner. The EU Commissioner received more than 30,000 complaints in the following days.

However, the indignation about simply ignoring the will of more than one million EU citizens remains unanswered.

The Petitions Committee

In June 2012 Animals’ Angels submitted the boxes of signatures to the Petitions Committee of the European Parliament in Brussels.

On 16 September 2013 Animals’ Angels was invited to Brussels to speak to MEPs and members of the Petitions Committee about the 8hours demands. Animals’ Angels took this opportunity to ask why the EU Commission had so far done nothing to respond adequately to the will of EU citizens and the EU parliament. Animals’ Angels requested the Petitions Committee to examine the case and obtain a formal reply from the Commission regarding the 8hours petition. The mere fact that the Petitions Committee had been convened makes it absolutely clear that it is prepared to support our petition and seek answers to our questions.

In March 2014 Animals’ Angels received word from the Petitions Committee that at its behest  not only the European Commission had been told to consider our petition, but also the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Parliament.

The Petitions Committee takes our petition very seriously and has promised to keep us informed of future developments.

Photo – V. Cameron.

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional | Leave a comment »

Dear Mark;

As Stop Live Exports Campaign Manager and representative for another animal advocacy group, I will be addressing the crowd at March Australia‘s March in August event this Saturday 30 August at Russell Square, Northbridge.

Speakers at the past events have condemned this government for its treatment of workers, students, the aged, the sick, the poor, the misplaced,the disadvantaged.

I will be speaking out for some other Australians those who have no voice AND no vote – the animals; they get a raw deal no matter which major party is in power, but this government’s attitude towards and support for the live export industry at any cost, is unconscionable.

We hope to have a HUGE Stop Live Exports contingent there, with t shirts, placards and banners. We have also been invited to have a stall there at which to sell merchandise and offer memberships.

Please arrive by 1 PM for first two speakers and march, followed by two more speakers (including myself) – we would love to hear some loud voices in large numbers for the animals!

Facebook event page is here with all details, or just turn up to Russell Square, Aberdeen, James, Shenton and Parker streets by 1 PM this Saturday 30 August. Parking will be a nightmare, so strongly suggest you use public transport or get dropped off.

For a full list of all march locations in WA (Geraldton, Denmark and Broome) in and across Australia, see the March Australia website.

Hope to see you there!

Katrina Love
Campaign Manager/Coordinator

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional | Leave a comment »