Mark
As you are probably aware, my group in Parliament is calling on our European colleagues to back an amendment to the budget this week that will prevent any more EU funds being used to raise bulls for bullfighting.
I have been very clear in my opposition to bullfighting. The petition I submitted to the European Commission in 2013 reached 12000 signatures and I’m heartened to see that so many people agree that blood sports have no place in the 21st century.
As it stands, subsidies from the Common Agricultural Policy allow farmers to use the Single Farm Payment on hectares used to rear bulls used in the fights. My group in the European Parliament believes this is utterly wrong and is calling for our European colleagues to back our budget amendment this week that will end these subsidies.
Agricultural subsidies should be used to help farmers produce food, not to satisfy an outdated and abhorrent animal sacrifice.
As an honorary Vice President of the Scottish SPCA and an honorary associate member of the British Veterinary Association, I utterly condemn this barbaric practice.
There is no reason why European taxpayers should continue to subsidise activities that are in flagrant contradiction of our common animal welfare goals – even through such an indirect manner as Single Farm Payment.
Therefore I would like to assure you that I will be backing my group in voting for this amendment on Wednesday 22nd.
More information on my activities in opposition to bullfighting can be found here http://www.alynsmith.eu/bullfighting
Yours aye,
Alyn
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