Supposedly – The ruling of the European Court of Justice in April 2015 clearly defines the legal situation: “EU Animal Welfare Ordinance No. 1/2005 must be complied with until the animals’ final destination, even if it is outside the EU.”
The Reality is: The violation of the animal transport law is the rule in the EU and not the exception.
WAV Comment – The crap legislators at the EU have the audacity to say that there will be no access for the UK if ‘animal welfare standards are not protected’ !!
Watch the videos in the above links and see how the EU ‘protects it animals during transport; farming; foie gras production etc’. The EU is filth; and don’t ever take them as being any other way. Filth.
From day 1 when the UK voted to leave the EU, the EU has tried everything in its power to make things extra difficult. Now we read here from the Eurogroup that the European Parliament declares that there should be no access for GB if animal welfare standards are not protected.
The UK is a world leader in animal welfare. She has used her position in the EU to influence animal protection policy in the largest trading bloc in the world. For instance, the UK was the driving force behind Article 13 of the Treaty of Lisbon, which recognises animals as sentient beings. Based on the Treaty of Lisbon, the EU and member states must pay full regard to the welfare of animals when formulating and implementing policy. By ‘must pay’ simply read ‘ignore’; because that is the reality.
‘Brexit: getting the best deal for animals’ is a wide-ranging report published by the Wildlife and Countryside Link (Link) and the UK Centre for Animal Law (A-Law). The report is a product of a large coalition of leading UK animal protection NGOs including the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), World Animal Protection (WAP) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). The report describes how Brexit presents a major juncture in the history of UK animal protection:
‘As the UK prepares to leave the EU, the welfare of animals is at a critical crossroads and selecting the route ahead will determine the welfare of billions of animals. We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to either define or undermine our country’s identity and reputation as a global leader in animal welfare science and standards’.
Lets look at this again – ‘no access for GB if animal welfare standards are not protected’. So the EU is saying that the UK does not meet its ‘standards’ ?- lets see; That is the EU standards which include.
Exporting live animals
The EU allegedly puts a number of restrictions (Regulation 1/2005) on exporting live animals for slaughter or further fattening, such as ensuring adequate space, and providing food, water and rest, which all EU countries are supposed to abide by; but simply don’t (see video footage in above links). As we have shown so many times on WAV; the ‘protection’ of live animals transported across the EU – Reg 1/2005 is a complete and utter joke.. The regulations were implemented in the UK in 2007.
Member countries are allegedly entitled to take stricter measures, if they wish – the EU welfare standards are supposedly a minimum all countries have to follow, but do not. Again, watch the videos above to see non compliances.
If the UK wanted to put further restrictions on live animal exports Reg 1/2005, it could do so while it was still in the EU.
But if it (UK) wanted to fully ban live animal exports whilst a member state of the EU, it would not be allowed to do so under the current EU single market rules. But now (2020) free from the shackles of the EU; the UK is free to; and will, ban the export of live animals.
After the UK leaves the EU, which it has now done; a ban on the export of live animals could still be challenged under World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.
Export bans are prohibited by the WTO, but bans that protect endangered species and animal welfare, including ensuring that animals are not killed inhumanely, are allowed. So, there is a basis for challenging a ban under WTO, but there would also be a basis for defending it.
There is a private member’s bill being put forward by (UK) Conservative MP Theresa Villiers that would ban live exports “for slaughter or fattening, and for connected purposes”, but it stands little chance of becoming law without government support. But now (in 2020) the government has 80+ MP’s majority; to support votes in Parliament; there is little doubt that this ban would be voted through.
Animal welfare standards
The EU has a wide range of animal welfare laws the UK has had to abide by. These include consumer-information law, such as the labelling of eggs from battery hens.
It also regulates the use of animals in research, and it bans cosmetics tested on animals.
On top of these laws, individual countries can set their own animal welfare standards as long as they do not affect the operation of the EU’s single market (in the UK, the issue is devolved).
For example, the UK, as well as most other EU countries, has domestic legislation that prohibits production of foie gras on animal welfare grounds.
Belgium, France, Hungary, Spain and Bulgaria do not prohibit the production and under the EU principle of free movement of goods, the UK was in the position that as an EU member state; it was unable to ban the import of foie gras
As a (now) non EU member, it can now ban the import of foie gras into the UK.
Exploitative trade in pets
The UK government says EU rules on the pet travel scheme restrict the UK’s ability to crack down on puppy smuggling.
The EU pet travel scheme enables the owners of dogs, cats and ferrets to move freely between EU countries with their pets, providing their pet is micro-chipped, has a pet passport, has been vaccinated against rabies and, in the case of dogs, treated for tapeworm.
Pets have to be at least 15 weeks of age before they can travel, and one person can travel with up to five pets.
However, the UK charity Dogs Trust, in its report on puppy smuggling, says the EU pet travel scheme is abused by gangs in Hungary, Poland, Lithuania and elsewhere, who take puppies as young as four weeks from their mothers and transport them hundreds of miles in poor conditions to British ports, often with little food and water, to be sold in the UK.
The UK has been a particularly attractive target for EU puppy smugglers because of the relatively high prices that some breeds command. Outside the EU membership, though, it (UK) could also introduce stricter rules for importing puppies from other EU member states
Now the UK has left the EU; it can make parliamentary changes to resolve the smuggling.
So much then for the EU telling the UK that it needs to step up to the EU plate with regard animal welfare. As an organisation partly based in the UK (England); we take this EU statement as a complete and utter insult. Whe the EU enforces all the un enforced activities which are shown in the above video links, then they can talk. Until then, we kindly suggest the EU shuts its mouth and continues to do what it does best – which is nothing apart from writing pathetic regulations on bits of paper; which in reality, it never enforces !
Don’t tell the UK to get better; it is already a lot better than most other member states of the EU when it comes to animal welfare legislation enforcement. It is not perfect; nobody is, but at least we in the UK do not have the situation of the arsonist as the head of the fire brigade !
Only in meat mafia world; the EU, does this happen continually.
Posted on February 29, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Business model “animal cruelty”: In the global livestock trade, only profit counts. For weeks, cattle or sheep suffer painfully on ships before they come ashore to die – on broken legs if necessary.
This footage was taken in July 2019 and is no exception. It is the everyday reality of live transport in Europe.
Only this time an investigating team was following trucks.
The investigators from the Animal Welfare Foundation(AWF) and Israel Against Live Shipments (IALS) were trailing calves all the way from Lithuania to their destination in Israel over two weeks.
Only the road part of the journey is as much as 1.700 kilometres.
For several hours, investigators from AWF were following two trucks on their route from Lithuania. Suddenly, they notice a leg sticking out from the truck and immediately call ITD, the Road Traffic Inspection (road police) in Poland.
The officials are speechless by the conditions they see inside the trucks.Veterinary inspectors are called who find multiple legal violations, with calves transported in extremely overcrowded conditions, lying in a thick layer of manure, suffering from high ammonia level, heat and extreme thirst.
These conditions caused the death of some animals, but also made other animals so exhausted that they had to be dragged by their legs from the trucks.
Nevertheless, after a 24-hour-long rest at a stable, the animals are carried further on to the ports of Koper (Slovenia) and Raša (Croatia).
This time on three trucks instead of only two, but investigators of IALS observe again some terribly weak and exhausted calves at the arrival of the trucks in the ports.
From here, the transport continues by sea and the animals are loaded on the livestock vessels with destination Israel.
Our experience shows that sick animals are usually left untreated and their dead bodies are regularly dumped into the Mediterranean Sea.
It is common practice to simply throw sick or dead animals overboard. Many even alive.The ear tag is removed beforehand so that the place of origin cannot be located.
After arrival at Israel Shipyards located in Haifa, the journey of these animals is not over yet. The investigators from IALS find “our” calves, beside many others, loaded on small trucks and carried further on to quarantine stables.
During this stage of transport, the temperature measured inside the trucks exceeds 37 degrees Celsius. The calves will be kept in quarantine for a month due to local potential illnesses in the area, before they are sent to fattening farms.
These findings illustrate the failure of the industry, EU Member States and the EU Commission to protect the welfare of animals during long distance transports to non-EU-countries. The suffering of animals on long journeys is inevitable and thus the European Union must stop this cruel and archaic trade involving sentient beings.
Please share this video and help us expose the truth behind the horrors of live transport. And the sign + share the petitions to stop this cruel trade.
And I mean… With the failure of the 8-hour campaign (the initiative of 1.2 million EU citizens to limit animal transport to 8 hours), animal suffering during animal transport has remained the same, if not worse.
A catastrophic consequence of globalization or world trade is the increase in animal transport and the extension of transport distances. This enables the animal industry to market animals internationally.
Around 3.8 million animals are transported every day in the EU alone. That is 1.4 billion animals a year.
In the EU, producers and processors have long since recognized animals as general cargo and are treated like “export goods”. The steps in meat production are separate: breeding, husbandry and fattening concentrate where the feed and wage costs are low.
Many animals do not survive the cruel transports or they collapse due to exhaustion after days of torture.
These cases are clearly violations of applicable EU animal welfare law, but are rarely punished.
The ruling of the European Court of Justice in April 2015 clearly defines the legal situation: “EU Animal Welfare Ordinance No. 1/2005 must be complied with until the animals’ final destination, even if it is outside the EU.”
In reality, however, every right ends as soon as the EU borders are reached.
And because the EU Commission is the strongest and worst agricultural lobby, it does not see this as its duty to impose sanctions on lawbreakers.
The violation of the animal transport law is the rule in the EU and not the exception.
They are images that shock deeply and shake even strong nerves. Sheep, cows, calves and lambs crammed together in ships’ overheated storage rooms and then mistreated.
Sick and dead animals lie around, smeared with excrement and blood. Many suffer injuries and broken bones.
As in all other sectors of the economy, “livestock farming” is all about money.
That is why animal transports go where the highest profits are – even if it is over thousands of kilometers.
The main thing is that every meat eater gets his cheap daily meat and the second thing is the meat industry makes its billions with the suffering of animals and the support of the EU.
Posted on February 29, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Does anyone remember the tragic fire on New Year’s Eve in Krefeld Zoo, Germany?
In the monkey house of the Krefeld Zoo, the imprisoned monkeys died on New Year’s Eve in a fire. They never had a chance to survive. In front of the burning building, police officers with machine guns were ready to shoot those fleeing the flames.
30 monkeys died, there were no fire alarms or sprinklers in their prison.
Now comes the news in the media that have taken on the role of collaborator in this case:
“The willingness to help is huge: Since the fire in the monkey house at the beginning of the year, the Krefeld Zoo has received donations totaling 1.43 million euros!
Friedrich Berlemann, the chairman of the zoo friends, said that there were also many small donations at a public solidarity meeting in front of the town hall.
Well over 500 people were there.
Krefeld- City Hall
“The many fundraisers are overwhelming”, said Berlemann. “The amount would be the first basis for financing a new monkey house”.
The supervisory board has already decided to build and keep apes in the zoo.
According to a spokeswoman, planning should begin quickly: “We want to make visits to zoos this year that are characterized by their innovative and exemplary apes attitude. The new ape house should be more beautiful, modern and species-appropriate than ever before”(!!!)
My comment: The power of the media has won again.
They manipulated the masses in such a way that the new construction of the monkey house should not only appear as a matter of course but as a referendum. “We decided that the zoo would keep its monkeys.”
One can already understand the joy of city politicians when they can relieve their coffers with such a large sum of 1.4 Milion euros and without having to force anyone to do so.
Such a well-manipulated basis of democracy is very welcome for corrupt politicians, zoo directors and heads of state!
Posted on February 28, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
There are just no words to truly describe the sweetness in this photo.
The gratitude of the animals you give them a home is so limitless.
They are full of love that they generously give you, and those of us who are lucky enough to be on the reception side learn a lot from real feelings.
We hope this photo will inspire more people to visit an animal shelter and choose a loving, loyal, and devoted creature to live with.
❤️ Save a Life – Adopt a creature today that wants to live with you so much❤️
Posted on February 28, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
SUCCESS: Kenya bans donkey killing for Ejiao after PETA pressure!!
After almost two years of pressure from PETA, Cabinet Secretary of the Kenyan Department of Agriculture, Peter Munya, has finally banned donkey slaughterhouses in the country.
The ban should come into force in March 2020.
So far, at least 1,000 donkeys have been slaughtered in Kenya every day to be exported to China. There their skin is boiled down to Ejiao, an ingredient for medicines, cosmetics and sweets. Many thanks to the over 10,000 supporters who signed our online petition.
Original article:
In 2017, a PETA investigation revealed massive animal cruelty on Chinese donkey farms. As the pictures showed, workers hit the donkeys on the head with a sledgehammer, then they cut the animals’ throats with a knife.
The background to this cruelty to animals is the production of “Ejiao”, a traditional Chinese “medicine” in which the donkey skin is boiled down to gelatin.
Now, a new PETA video reveal has revealed unspeakable cruelty in donkey slaughter in Kenya. The animals are also being killed there to meet Chinese demand for Ejiao. The photos show workers beating asses that are completely scared.
The cruelty to animals occurred in state-approved slaughterhouses!!
Transport for days to the slaughterhouse
Kenya has opened three donkey slaughterhouses in the past three years. The animals are transported in trucks from neighboring countries to Kenya, because in many African countries, including Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda, the cruel slaughter is already prohibited by law.
The painful journey to the slaughterhouse in Kenya can take several days.
Injuries and deaths during transportation
Eyewitnesses came across dead donkeys that had not survived the painful transport. The animals were simply dumped in front of the slaughterhouse.
The eyewitnesses also saw a donkey who was apparently injured and could not get up. Workers dragged him out of the truck and left him at the front gate.
Apparently the animal did not receive any medical treatment – they just left it to its suffering.
Kenya must ban this cruel practice
Many African countries have already banned the export of donkey skins or closed Chinese-owned slaughterhouses, including Botswana, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda. Even the official Chinese National Health and Family Planning Commission warns that donkey skin gelatin is really nothing more than “overcooked donkey skin”.
However, donkeys are still being slaughtered in countries like Kenya to meet Chinese demand for Ejiao.
There is no law against animal abuse in farms or slaughterhouses in Kenya. From a legal point of view, therefore, not one of the acts seen in the recordings is punishable.
PETA and PETA’s international partner organizations have contacted numerous authorities, companies and consumers worldwide and asked them not to support this cruel industry.
There are several alternatives to Ejiao, for example modern medicines or herbal substances, which in contrast to Ejiao are really effective and do not cause animal suffering.
My comment: Ejiao is considered an extremely popular medication for a variety of complaints in China and is used in particular as a blood tonic: Ejiao is said to heal skin aging, infertility and impotence (!!!) The demand from China is high.
According to Chinese media, the price is $ 780 per kilo. Animal welfare organization The Donkey Sanctuary estimates that the Ejiao industry needs five million donkey skins each year.
China’s own donkey population has shrunk from 11 million animals in 1992 to 4.6 million animals in 2018, according to the UN. Therefore, African donkeys must now serve.
That is why China buys donkey skin from African countries.
But Kenya has finally realized that this miserable business must end.
It was no accident that in September and at the Africa Animal Welfare Conference in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, there was sharp criticism of Kenya for the mass slaughter of donkeys.
And now the new “ivory” is over!
The Chinese should look for herbal remedies for their potency.
And make sure they don’t overdo it, because the more the potency increases, the more damage is done to the planet.
And that applies not only to the Chinese, but to global growth.
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 