Hello
I am not sure what exactly needs to be sent apart from those points that Slavica (EPAR) made. Perhaps it is too long and needs to just be condensed but the main point is that our Ministry of Agriculture formed a working group, which produced a secret draft for the proposal of the amendments to the existing Animal Welfare Act from 2009.
This original Act was very good, better than most countries welfare acts but, sadly, wasn’t implemented. This created opportunities for various mistreatments, exploitation and animal abuse at the hands of individuals, but more worryingly, professionals and institutions which were meant to care for them!
The main problem, as it seems, is the fact that people in power, who have nothing to do with this ACT are actually going to decide on the future of all animals in Serbia. They are led by the promises of profit, guided by the needs of other EU countries that are not allowed to do certain things anymore, so Serbia can happily step in and provide such services/businesses (breeding animals for fur).
The whole process was done in secrecy, thus breaking the Aarhus Convention as only when the draft leaked and the concerned public raised their concerns, have they invited the animal protection groups and NVOs to join in with the discussion. But, it seems that this was only done as a gesture as nothing more has been organised for this process to be conducted as it should be, giving enough time to all interested parties to continue with the discussion until the right agreement is reached – the best regulations for the true welfare of ALL animals in Serbia.
It is very obvious now that the government is not interested what its people need/want as they haven’t taken any suggestions and concerns on board but are clearly going ahead with their very own version of the proposed amendments. These amendments clearly mean death to hundreds of thousands of our healthy animals – all for the sake of profit and personal gain, in many cases.
We, people who have been working very hard on animal protection are shocked with the lack of fair-play all at the expense of these innocent, sentient beings as, once the amended Act come to life, we will witness the extermination of many animals, especially the most vulnerable ones (wild, stray, “experimental”).
We urge anyone who cares whether our future generations will have the pleasure of the company of the Serbian rich animal kingdom, to raise their concern NOW.
Tomorrow will be too late!
Hope that this explains a bit what is going on.
Kind regards,
Vesna
——————————————————
SAV Comment
Many of us ‘non-Serbian’ animal welfare groups across the EU (and other parts of the world) are doing what we can to try and prevent this new legislation being passed by the Serbian government. One of the biggest failures in the system is the lack of steadfast leadership by the EU Enlargement Commission who should have been forcing Serbia to implement its existing rules of law for animal protection; and not inventing new legislation to the detriment of animal welfare.
Instead, it (the EU) just seems to sit quietly and allow Serbian officials to draft new legislation much to the negative for all animals; whilst yet making more money for some in authority within Serbia who have already had a grip of the system and abused it for many years, simply by ignoring the existing laws and doing instead exactly what they want to do purely for financial gain.
The EU Enlargement Commission is doing nothing at all to help either the Serbian campaigners or the animal welfare campaigners throughout the EU and other parts of the world. You have to ask yourself what they (EU Enlargement Commission) really exist for; when they are being dictated to by an outside (current non-member) state rather than demanding that state (ie. Serbia) gets into line with what they in the EU require of future new members.
As Vesna’s information above shows; things for animals in Serbia are looking pretty desperate. Blame this on the EU Commission – we do.
The EU has failed the animals of Serbia; and just as importantly, it has failed the animal welfare groups of the EU who have been calling on it to act more positively and bring the Serbian government to task about its non-implementation of good and already currently existing Serbian national animal welfare legislation.
With the EU failing to act; it would appear that Serbian corruption and financial greed are going to take priority over EU legislation; over the ‘rule of law’ implementation which the EU always talks about – https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2015/05/29/33607/
If this is going to be the future way for the EU; to be run by corruption and non-compliance with the law; then we can guarantee that there will be big changes within the EU in the coming years. British people are already sick to death of this kind of EU attitude which we are seeing with Serbia, and they (the Brits) will probably vote to get out of Europe when they have the chance in the near future – see:
https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2015/05/28/uk-now-guaranteed-the-uk-citizens-will-vote-to-leave-or-remain-in-the-eu/
As we have said in the pat, now say, and will continue to say; the EU Enlargement Commission run by Commissioner Hahn is NOT getting future EU member states to adhere to what the EU requires re legislation; the EU is instead being dictated to by current non EU states such as Serbia – a case of the tail wagging the dog.
Certainly here in the UK we do not want a future in the EU which is run even more by bribery and corruption. The EU appears to be going along the same lines of the ‘FIFA’ fiasco which we have all been watching on our tv this week; the main people at the helm doing nothing to actually enforce the rules, when it is obviously clear to everyone except them, that the existing rules are not being adhered to or even enforced.
We in the animal welfare camp can really do no more than we already are. Under the current situation, this would appear to be not enough.
Corruption; the greed of gold and a useless EU Commission have failed good, decent and honest people around the world who are doing what they can top stop the abuse of animals.
We, along with other welfare organisations are now looking into how changes within the EU ‘management’ can be made – we want ‘our’ Commissioners to represent the people of Europe; not to be dictated to by an animal mafia or government such as that which exists within Serbia.
If the EU is not going to demand existing regulation enforcement by new future member states; then the people of the UK at least will get out of the EU and instead leave it to be run by the corrupt systems that appear to taking control of what was once in the past a good Union of nations. Sadly, it is no longer. All we can hope is that the people of the UK, when given their chance in the near future, will take the exit door on the EU and instead let the corrupt states that already rule the roost take complete charge.
The EU has failed, and we do not want to be part of a European system in the future that exists and is run solely on corruption and deals, ignorant of the legislation which member states should be complying with !!
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia | Leave a comment »
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 