Posted on July 4, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
UPDATE 5/7/16 –
Yesterday we did send a copy of this post back to DG SANTE, just to inform them of our opinion on the situation.
We now have confirmation that the e mail has been rec’d and read:
Your message
To: SANTE CONSULT-G2
Subject: Re: Reply your e-mail of 15th June 2016- Ares(2016)3157360 Sent: 04 July 2016 18:34:12 (UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris
was read on 05 July 2016 09:49:48 (UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris.
Who knows what will happen next – but at least we have informed on our opinion of the situation.
There may be some changes on the horizon at the EU – lets hope this spreads to other Commissions and departments who are failing in their obligations to the EU citizen and to the animals who are suffering in transportation:
With regards to our e mail (plus attachments) sent on 15/6, we have now had a reply from the man himself – Mr Van Goethem at DG SANTE –UNIT G2 (Animal Health and Welfare).
Para 2 – the photos we provided showing animals in poor welfare conditions were those taken at the EU / Turkish border.
Para 3 – “The Commission is aware of the ongoing challenges with the enforcement of the Regulation” (1/2005 on the welfare of animals in transport).
We respond by saying that whilst being glad that the Commission ‘is aware’; we are witnessing nothing in the way of regulation enforcement. We feel that this is where the Commission should immediately step in and take out prosecutions against all member states who are failing to enforce the regulation. But the don’t; so what really is the point of them one has to ask ? – talk the talk, but in reality, do nothing to improve the welfare of animals.
Here is a message sent to us on 29th June from Lesley, who is currently at the border:
For the past week Eyes on Animals and TSB|AWF have been at the Kapitain Andreevo (BG)/Kapikule (TR) border. We are still there now. Since arriving on June 23rd there has not been a moment of rest. The situation is the worst it has ever been. Just yesterday 55 EU animal trucks passed the Bulgarian Exit Post. Four pregnant heifers from Germany have already given birth on board the trucks and many animals from different origins are dead inside the trucks. We have seen several journey logs with this scribbled on them, in Bulgarian:
So – 55 EU animal transporters cross the EU / Turkish border in just one day; and we can be pretty certain that none of them would be enforcing the 1/2005 regulation. Does not this typical example of 55 transporters of suffering animals passing through in just one day not show that the EU Commission / DG SANTE (Animal Health and Welfare – hmm ??) is actually doing nothing in the real world when it comes to taking out prosecutions against nations and transporters who are not enforcing the regulations.
DG SANTE has a lot of blood and animal suffering on its hands.
DG SANTE talks the talk; but in reality it does nothing except continue to let animals be abused and suffer horrendously. Do we see DG SANTE stop live animals being exported from the abusing member states ? – NO – it all comes down to money in reality. The Commission likes to make the EU public think through it very expensive europa web site that it doing everything correctly. The reality is it is actually ding nothing except let (for example) 55 livestock transporters break the law and move into Turkey in just one day without actually taking any real action.
This is the reality of the EU and its useless Commissions.Here in the UK we have now voted to leave all the ‘talkers but do nothings’ behind and to go our own way. We are in no doubt at all that many other member states will be holding in / out EU referendums in the next year to 18 months. Why ? – because we have no faith whatsoever in the Commissions and the talkers that work there. We want to see action and we want it now. Not weasel words about regular meetings with member states represented by their national contact points; not just talk of ‘enhanced checks’ and ‘timely actions in case of non compliance’ – Christ – this has been provided for over the last 5 YEARS showing non compliances at the EU / Turkish border; and here we are yet again with utterly useless weasel words from Mr Van Goethem and Commissioner Andriukaitis telling us that ‘the Commission has launched a pilot project to develop best practices for animal transport’ !!!
Why not stop the member state(s) being allowed to export live animals ? – then your pathetic messages might actually get through to them !!
We see all the words like ‘strengthening training activities’, ‘all actors involved in the transport of animals’ and ‘levels of enforcement’.
We totally dismiss the conclusions of Mr Van Goethem when he says that ‘ the broad spectrum of tools for better application and enforcement of existing rules represents a concrete and fast way to help improve the welfare of animals’.
We say, don’t please give us the continual waffle; prosecute member states and ban them now from exporting live animals. This is the only way the message will get home – not by introducing yet more useless rules which nobody takes any notice of. You may think you are acting positively DG SANTE; but you have always failed in the past, fail now and will always continue to fail.
DG SANTE you have always failed, despite the evidence being provided to you for many years. You are failing now and you will forever continue to fail, despite your brand new weasel words of ‘strengthening training activities’, ‘and ‘levels of enforcement’. You are failing and will always fail – that is why we have no respect whatsoever for you.
DG SANTE = Pathetic – simple as that.
Here is the reality of all the ‘hard work’ of DG SANTE –
More than 5 years of evidence to the EU, and STILL IT DOES NOTHING IN REALITY.
Posted on June 23, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
23/6/16 – well voting has now commenced in the UK regarding its future in or out of the EU.
Reporting restrictions have been enforced until the polls close at 10pm tonight. A result should be known by breakfast time (or soon after) on 24/6/16.
We have had several mails from Members of the European Parliament (MEP) who want us to remain in the EU and inform us how fantastic the EU is for animals welfare. There are some issues (cosmetics and seal fur for example) where EU wide legislation has made a difference.
But UK groups have fought, are fighting, and will continue to fight for animal welfare improvements ANYWHERE whether the UK is in or out of the EU – and that is a simple fact.
Many UK major groups have histories which go back to being formed 100 years ago or more – pre EU days; so we are not going to pack our bags and go home to watch the tv now. The campaigns continue regardless; in or out.
On a more personal / group level, we are really not witnessing anything positive for animals in transport, or for Serbian animals when it comes to the future and what the EU could do for them. Hopefully we have shown this a bit over the past 11 years on this site. For example, the situation for live EU animals being exported to Turkey is disgusting; and we feel for Lesley that her meeting with the EU Commission did not go a lot better last week.
Good EU citizens in their thousands (millions for live export 8 hours) want change; but the non elected EU Commissioners say ‘no’ – so that’s how it remains; the wishes of one person as opposed to the wishes of several million.
At the heart of this campaign is a petition calling for an end to long-distance transport and a reduction of the maximum overall journey time to 8 hours. Organisations large and small as well as many committed individuals all over Europe helped to collect signatures.
The petition was handed in to Brussels in June 2012, signed by 1,103,248 EU citizens.
The EU is out of touch with the real world. On the following link you will find Mark’s new letter to Alan Smyth MEP (in Scotland) regarding our views on the e mail he sent to us asking us to ‘remain in for animals’. Lets be clear – Mr Smith is a very GOOD animal welfare person who works hard for welfare. He is an MEP, but for UK membership we cannot agree with him on how brilliant the EU has been for animals. We hope that Mark’s letter makes this fairly clear.
We have sent our response to Alan Smyth, but do not expect a reply soon as he is obviously very busy with referendum work. We have in this instance a difference of opinion, but we can still work together for improvements for animals (in our outside of the EU) and we can still have full respect for each other. It just happens that in this current case, we do not agree with what the EU has done.
Posted on June 20, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
We sent a letter to the EU Enlargement Commissioner (Hahn) regarding Serbian strays and other animal welfare issues for future new EU member states. This is what we got back:
Your message
To: HAHN Johannes (CAB-HAHN)
Subject: UK In Out ?
Sent: 19 May 2016 23:06:35 (UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris
was deleted without being read on 20 June 2016 08:03:08 (UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris.
Such is the EU Commissions views on the EU citizen.
Posted on June 19, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
IMPORTANT NOTE – VISA EXEMPTION FOR OTHER NATIONALITIES. See the following but note timescales is short.
Not just exemption for UK – see the following:
The visa exemption for
British, German, French, Spanish and Italian citizens travelling to Vietnam for a period of up to 15 days (single entry and not returning within 30 days) is applied from 01 July 2015 to 30 June 2016. Up to now, the Embassy has not received any information on extension of this policy.
———————————————————————————
Further to our recent posts regarding Australian cattle being killed by the use of sledgehammers in Vietnam, we now send out an important message to all UK residents.
We understand from our friends at Animals Australia, that Vietnam wants more United Kingdom residents to visit. In fact, they’ve just waived VISA requirements hoping you do.
They consider UK visitors important – so we need UK residents to act now.
The Vietnamese government will be very sensitive to feedback from you (UK residents) about the brutal sledgehammering to death of animals in their slaughterhouses as exposed by AA.
UK residents can send an e mail to the Vietnamese embassy in the UK, and also to the Vietnamese Tourist Board informing them that (you) will only ever visit nations that have full respect for animals; which does clearly NOT involve the use of sledgehammers for killing as exposed by AA.
Inform the Vietnamese that until they tidy up their act and treat animals respectfully and in accordance with 21st Century procedures, YOU WILL NEVER consider visiting Vietnam regardless of the VISA changes it has currently introduced.
Posted on June 17, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
SAV Comment – We think it is clear from this site our views on the live animal export trade. Here again we hear of pathetic whines from the Australian government and talk of yet another full investigation – how many of these have we endured from gutless politicians over the years ?
The evidence will continue to be shown; animals will suffer unnecessarily and the trade will probably continue – all due to a totally immature and inadequate government. What are they being bribed with, and by whom, you have to ask, to keep the trade of cruelty open ?
Tonight, our latest cruelty investigation was broadcast on national TV — and it sent shockwaves across the country. Our undercover investigators have put their own lives on the line to again expose the nightly horrors faced by animals exported live to Vietnam. I have no wish to burden you with the upsetting details, but one animal’s struggle will stay with me forever. He saw his mates ‘processed’ before him. He knew what was coming.
As I watched the video evidence of this sickening night unfold, all I could hope was that his death would come swiftly. Tragically, the reality for countless animals exported to Vietnam is that their deaths will not be swift. Some will suffer multiple, agonising blows with a sledgehammer before finally succumbing to oblivion in a filthy slaughterhouse, so many miles away from home. What makes their suffering even more difficult to bear is the knowledge that our government is completely aware of the terror that awaits so many animals exported to Vietnam. And has issued permits to live exporters to ship them anyway. Mark, these animals need your help, today. As you read this, thousands of gentle animals await live export to Vietnam. The only thing standing between them and the possibility of being sledgehammered to death is the number of people who step up on their behalf.
By helping us to expose the evidence and by supporting the brave work of our investigations unit, you can help protect animals from harrowing cruelty. On behalf of animals, thank you.
Tell our politicians that it’s time to make a commitment to:
End the live export of animals for slaughter in favour of a meat export trade
Immediately remove the regulation of live export from the Department of Agriculture to an independent authority
Re-establish the Australian Government’s leadership role in animal welfare.
‘Australian cattle’ being bludgeoned to death in Vietnam sparks Government investigation
Workers in Vietnamese abattoirs have been filmed bludgeoning what appears to be Australian live export cattle with sledgehammers.
Key points:
Animals Australia described the vision as profoundly distressing
Ear notches and animal behaviour suggest the cattle are from Australia
The abattoir in question has been suspended from receiving cattle
The Federal Government has ruled out a live export ban
The Federal Government launched an investigation into the apparent breach of the live export regulation after they were shown the footage by animal welfare group Animals Australia last week.
The ABC has obtained the vision filmed by undercover investigators hired by Animals Australia.
Warning: Vision in this story may disturb some viewers.
One of the videos shows a worker clubbing a cow over the head five times with a sledgehammer before it falls to the ground.
The man then hits the cow a further four times before it finally dies.
“I thought I’d seen it all, and I haven’t,” Animals Australia campaign director Lyn White said.
“It’s profoundly distressing and unnecessary and preventable and we shouldn’t forget that it’s been happening on a nightly basis since we [Australia] opened this trade in Vietnam.”
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce ruled out a live export ban, but said action would be taken.
“Immediately when we found out about this we went straight into action,” he said.
SAV Comment – well bully for you brave man !
“The Department [of Agriculture] has been working closely with the industry, the abattoir has been suspended from receiving cattle, we are investigating this process but further action needs to take place and will take place.”
Australian Broadcasting Corporation …
Animals Australia said they visited 13 slaughterhouses in North and Central Vietnam.
“Only two met Australian requirements for approved abattoirs,” Ms White said.
She described the vision as “the most shocking” she had ever seen when asked to compare the gravity of the conditions with those exposed in Indonesia by the ABC’s Four Corners program in 2011.
The meat workers, who were secretly filmed, told the undercover investigators that the cows being slaughtered were from Australia.
The cows also have distinctive ear notches which are unique to Australian cattle.
They also have holes in their ears, suggesting electronic national livestock identification tags have been removed.
“They know that the ear tags are not meant to be in the animals at these locations so there’s quite deliberate corruption of the system that’s going on that has meant that Australian cattle are ending up in these traditional slaughterhouses,” Ms White said.
Animals Australia said it chose not to publicly release that vision last March, but instead took it to the Australian Livestock Exporters Council (ALEC).
Ms White claims she was promised a response within six weeks, but has not heard from the industry body since.
She said she decided to make the vision public this time to pressure the live export industry to act.
“The Australian public needs to be aware of the risks that Australian animals are still facing, that these regulations are not working and are not working because no one is being made accountable when they breach them,” she said.
ALEC chairman and former Labor leader Simon Crean admits the council did not respond to Animals Australia’s concerns last year.
He said the industry implemented reforms to address animal welfare concerns.
“We have committed ourselves to the introduction of people on the ground, to training programs, the implementation of CCTV cameras, all of the tracing and tracking procedures,” he said.
“We have been constantly engaged, the investment by the industry in this respect has been huge.”
Mr Crean viewed the footage of the cattle being killed with sledgehammers on Wednesday, and described it as “inexcusable”.
“I’m shattered,” he said.
“This is the very thing that I, along with the industry, have committed to end.
“No animal should have to go through the fear and the pain.
“It’s what we’re committed to eliminate and this just reinforces we’ve still got work to do.”
ALEC chief executive Alison Penfold acknowledged it “seemed” there were Australian cattle in the holding pens of the sledgehammer slaughterhouse.
“The behaviour of the animals gives every suggestion that they’re Australian,” she said.
Through Mr Crean, ALEC announced yesterday it would be cutting off the supply of animals to the facilities under investigation.
“We’ve also determined that if any exporter is in deliberate breach of requirements… we will take every step to ensure they do not supply into the market,” he said.
Feedlot ‘has been suspended twice before’
However, Mr Crean said suspending trade, as the Labor government did to Indonesia in 2011, would be a mistake.
“What we want to do is to lift the standards across the industry and Australian commitment is world-best practice in this,” he said.
“[It’s] not perfect, but it’s just world-best practice.”
However, Ms White said she had little faith in the industry.
“The feedlot that they have suspended has been suspended on at least two occasions before,” she said.
“That this is still occurring despite CCTV, despite exporter supply chain officers being there, just goes to show that the system has been corrupted.”
The Department of Agriculture has viewed the footage and has launched an investigation.
“The footage… depicts abhorrent and indefensible treatment of cattle at an abattoir not approved to receive livestock exported from Australia,” the department said in a statement.
“A thorough investigation of this evidence has begun.”
Posted on June 7, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Regarding our recent post on the failure of the EU to enforce any protection for EU animals being tucked to Turkey, a non EU state, https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2016/06/06/the-eu-excuses-get-more-pathetic-by-the-day-contact-mr-van-goethem-and-show-your-disgust/ as the ex EU correspondent for Kent Action Against Live Exports (KAALE), I decided to go back into my old files as I know the name of Bernard Van Goethem very well. The two of us have corresponded in the past, when I presented many other failures of EU live animal transportation regulations to the EU; sadly, all of these appear to have been ignored also; certainly from what is recently still seen at Kent, English ports. There is very little, if any change.
As the copy of the letter (below) shows; I wrote on behalf of KAAALE to the EU (one of many letters – see ‘About Us’ – https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/about-us/ ) regarding concerns for animals in transport within the EU, including the UK. This letter is from early 2013 and specifically deals with the issue of trailer identification and the fact that live animals are / were being carried on vehicles which did not identify this in any way. It was often seen at Kent ports that live animal transporters did NOT carry any identification on them that live animals were being carried. To many outsiders or those not familiar with the trade, I can understand when people say that you must be able to identify an animal transporter trailer just by the look of it. Well I am afraid this is not always the case; as ‘box trailers’ with no visible access to the animals were sometimes used by the Dutch when operating in the UK. Here is a photo of a typical closed box trailer; which actually contains many dozens of live sheep.
Live sheep being carried in this trailer within the UK by a Dutch haulier – would you know it ? – where is the signage in accordance with EU Regulations on the transport of live animals ?
If you do not know that, then how are UK emergency services supposed to know it if the trailer overturns on a UK motorway ?. That my friends was the very essence of my letter of complaint to Mr Van Goethem – that trailers are not identified as carrying live animals; hence failing the requirements of EU Regulation 1/2005, and that the trailers did not have access doors fitted to them – something which Lesley identified so very much in her report to the EU on the very same issue.
Here below is a link to Lesley’s report on the importance of access in livestock trailers – why it is so very important to have multiple access doors to allow access to animals should they need it.
A statement exists in EU Regulation 1/2005 on ‘the protection of animals during transport’, that: ANNEX I – Technical Rules; Chapter II – Means of Transport; Section 2 – ‘Additional provisions for transport by road or rail’ – Para 2.1 clearly defines:
2.1 “Vehicles in which animals are transported shall be clearly and visibly markedindicating the presence of live animals, except where the animals are transported in containers marked in accordance with paragraph 5.1”.
SAV underline and red type above.
Evidence of the failure of ‘clear and visible markings’ on some livestock trailers is yet another example of where the EU has written legislation, in the form of Regulation 1/2005; but effectively, it (the EU) does not wish to ensure that its regulations are enforced by member states.
In his letter back to Mark of 6/5/2013, Mr Van Goethem clearly states at the end of page 1 that:
“You alert us to the fact that transports, often do not display notices warning that live animals are being transported. This is indeed contrary to the terms of the legislation, according to which road vehicles carrying animals ‘shall be clearly and visibly marked indicating the presence of live animals’.”
“This is of course of great importance to ensure the welfare and safety of the animals on board”.
“The Commission sees that it is important that the Regulation is properly implemented. It is however the member states that are primarily responsible for the daily enforcement of EU legislation, and the Commission would intervene mainly where there appears to be a systemic failure of the competent authority of a member state to enforce adequately the EU Regulation”
As of 2016, Dutch livestock transporters using the box type trailers are still being witnessed by UK activists on the roads of the UK, and ARE STILL carrying no signage whatsoever in accordance with EU Regulations.
So, we have to ask exactly what Mr Van Goethem and his ‘team’ are actually doing for the welfare of animals in transport from EU member states. In our opinion, very little at all; maybe even nothing. Not particularly good for someone who in his letter of May 2013 to Mark claims to be the ‘Director responsible for animal welfare in the DG for Health and Consumers’ (at the EU).
Why Mr van Goethem, have you taken no action either about the lack of clear signage on livestock carrying trailers ? We have given you the clear photographic evidence, the names of some of the hauliers doing this, and the actual sub para of the EU Regulation which declares that signage is completely important.
Why ?, why are you happy to fail the animals ? – you declare that you are a ‘Director responsible for animal welfare’ art the EU Commission.
Can we make a suggestion – that you practice what you claim to be and that you give a lot more understanding to the lives and suffering of animals in transport rather than just to your retirement pension from the EU !
Yet another reason for the UK groups to get out of the utterly useless EU and to undertake ex EU campaigning for all live animals in transport across the EU.
And more importantly, time for EU ‘importants’ to wake up to the real world; see all their failings and to actually do something about it. Something we have not seen to date.
Things are very close at the moment – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36271589 – many people wanting out simply because the EU does nothing; talks the talk; fails to enforce and then charges member states millions of pounds each week for not enforcing the regulations.
What would you do in such a situation ? – support the Van Goethem ‘do nothing’ policy or get out and try to improve the welfare of animals in transport ?
——————————————————–
——————————————————
We witness the dictatorship of incompetents!
In June 2012, the then EU Commissioner John Dalli assured us all to pursue the will of the 395 MEPs until 2014, who signed for a reduction of the transport of animals to 8 hours. And the will of 1,100,000 EU citizens who had signed the petition. In June 2012, Dalli disclaimed his promise.
To date, 6 years after, Dalli goes unpunished. A MEP cannot nullify his promise without consequences, just because it fits him like that. Unless he suffers from dementia or is corrupt. Both very poor properties to direct the Office of Health and Food.
Dalli is out, a new is here! His name is Mr. Van Goethem or perhaps Mr. Andiukaitis, or even Mr. Hogan. No one knows, because no one is responsible for anything. The only thing we know with certainty that all can nothing. It would be enough if they bring the 8hours campaign to an end, as a sign of fairness and restitution. If they had corrected the EU bad reputation in animal welfare because of the Dalli affair. If they had abolished the shameful Transport Regulation from 01/2005, we would not accuse the EU of being responsible for medieval barbarism in animal transport. We do not ask that they do all this because of love for the animals, but because animal welfare is in their contract, and because they get a turbo salary.
Clearly, we are experiencing the dictatorship of incompetents! When conducting talks with MEPs, you are at the end after half an hour. You sit opposite to merciless, disinterested and stupid janitor, with nice white shirts. And one wonders what they’re doing there. Besides earning a lot of money, of course.
Both Mr. Van Goethem and Mr. Andiukaitis would gain a higher reputation, if both would give up her job. Both are not able to lead a responsible animal welfare policy. In whose hands lies the future of animal transport?
In those of the incompetents, the washouts, the clueless. We need a new European model. For humans and animals. Venus
Posted on June 6, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
David Cameron – British Prime Minister; has sadly bleated on for weeks now in the lead up to the UK / EU In / Out referendum being held on 23rd June; about how essential it is for the UK to remain in the EU.
Well here is yet another example of just how pathetic Mr Cameron’s EU is. Did we hear anything about animal welfare issues during the renegotiations which Cameron and the EU took place in a few months ago ? – No. He was only busy looking after business and his banker mates who work in the city – nothing else matters.
So we were annoyed, but not really surprised, (after all we have been campaigning for many years !), to see the latest from wonderful Lesley at ‘Eyes on Animals’ regarding the situation for EU animals being exported live to Turkey. As some of you will know, this has been an issue which we have been very actively involved with quite a lot over recent months.
The response to Lesley and the TSB/AWF from Bernard van Goethem (at the EU Commission) just shows everything that is continually WRONG WITH THE EU; and further supports why many people in the UK are in support of getting out completely. For many in the animal welfare camp, this abuse of evidence and the essential changes (from the EU) which are necessary but are not happening as a result of clear evidence just show how separated from the real world Mr Van Goethem and all his team are.
Here below is the post meeting statement from EoA with regard their meeting with the EU (Van Goethem) regarding live animals suffering at the EU / Turkish border for many days.
Mr van Goethem holds a meeting with his team.
You can read and check out more on the EoA website which is at
So lets recap a few of the main points associated with this.
The EU claims to have a Council Regulation, No 1/2005 of 22 December 2004, on the protection of animals during transport and related operations. This legislation is supposed to protect animals in transport – but it does nothing of the kind as we have shown with evidence for many years. The scope of the directive states – “This Regulation shall apply to the transport of live vertebrate animals carried out within the Community, including the specific checks to be carried out by officials on consignments entering or leaving the customs territory of the EU”.
In reality, what this means is the EU has, on paper only, some kind of pointless regulation, which hauliers do not comply with; which many EU member states do not comply with; and most worryingly, which the EU is utterly afraid to use as a pointer for any kind of prosecutions.
I am afraid that I have no more faith in Mr Van Goethem and his team than I do being able to ride a pushbike from the UK to Australia without a single stop !
Have a look at the terrible video made by EoA which shows EU animals destined for Turkey and the terrible conditions in which they are transported by some EU member states. Remember, this video evidence was made by EoA some 5 years ago, and has been presented to the EU as clear breaches of Regulations for as many years.
As you may remember, Mark made several phone calls to Marco Valletta at the EU about the suffering of EU animals destined for Turkey. Just like Mr van Goethem, Mr Valletta is a very well paid EU diplomat who in reality does very little. If they did do something, then we would not see the suffering at the Turkish border as is shown in the video from Lesley for example.
And yet, even with an alleged ‘Council Regulation’ to support them, our friends at EoA in the Netherlands had word back from the EU Commission that:
“Mr Van Goethem and his team informed us that they cannot take any concrete steps to change the situation”;
And that they “do not have the power to put an end to the way this trade being run despite it being in violation of their own EU legislation”.
“they cannot forbid anything”
“They also cannot insist that a stable be built at the border to unload the animals in urgent situations, nor insist on shade and more water pumps be placed there”.
“The EU Commission has so little power over the exporting Member States that routinely cause problems”.
So in summary, Mr van Goethem and his team at the EU, have EU legislation (in the form of a Regulation 1/2005) to ‘protect’ animals during transport. But in reality, and despite this EU Regulation, the EU cannot, or does not wish to give protection to EU animals which are being transported to Turkey !, or to many other locations within the EU. It would be a joke it was not so bad and involve so much suffering.
So, what is the point of a farce of an ‘EU Regulation’ to protect animals during transport ? when it is clear (and has been for many years) that regulations and rules do nothing and mean nothing to certain member states ? – are we not going to see the same when Serbia joins up ?
Also – What is the actual point of Mr Van Goethem and his ‘team’ when they cannot even enforce EU regulations that exist or take action to amend the blatantly clear animal abuse and suffering evidence which is presented to them ?
Maybe it would be best for the useless Van Goethem and his team to all take very early retirement; like this week ! – who wants to pay millions into an EU each week only then to witness gutless and pointless departments such as van Goethems come along and say “well there is not really anything we can do despite the regulations”.
Is that an EU – if it is, then it is crap; just like the majority who ‘work’ and take money from it.
So, where are we now ? – nowhere different to where we were last week or probably 5 years ago, as Lesley’s video makes clear. We fight on as always, against utterly useless bureaucrats like Mr Van Goethem, – the man with a nice pay cheque but a man who can not enforce the regulation.
If this is not the best example of why the UK should get out of the EU, then he and his team are a wonderful example. It is a typical example of the people who take fat salaries, sit in the corridors of Brussels, and then tell us that in reality, they are powerless to do anything for the better. Do we want to be in an EU run by Van Goethems and the rest ? – NO.
As an existing EU citizen, I should be able to rely on the EU, my EU, to take action when it is obviously clear (in evidence) that things are wrong. The evidence is clear, but the Van Goethems of this world do not, cannot and will not take action against those who break the rules. That is a sad situation; I guess when a situation like that arises, you get up and walk away, and take action and campaign from the outside.
Hopefully, come 23rd June, that is what the people of the UK will do. As for the EU; well it can fester in its own uselessness whilst giving welcoming kisses and hugs to new corrupt member states such as Serbia; or ‘Romania 2’ as it is now called.
Our petition for animals exported to Turkey is still open.
Send an e mail to the utterly useless EU team using this address – cab-andriukaitis-webpage@ec.europa.eu
Lesley has produced a sample letter which you can send to the useless Commission at the above e mail. Copy and send or use it as the basis for your own.
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Commissioner Andriukaitis,
The suffering of farm animals trucked along the route from Europe to Turkey is well known. Your authorities at the EU Commission and all exporting Member States have received photos, video footage and detailed reports about the reality on the ground there since 2010. These problems are not incidences, but routine violations of the EU animal-transport legislation and to the dignity of sentient beings. Society has evolved, and transporting live animals in ways that are known to cause, or seriously risk causing suffering and pain, is no longer acceptable. I am a resident of Europe and I would like to kindly insist that the European Commission puts its foot down on this trade route and finally puts an end to the misery. I am particularly appalled at the fact that Europe is planning on exporting over 5000 cattle this month to Turkey, right when the summer heat peaks and suffering is known to be the most unbearable.
Please let the Commission know you are an EU citizen if you reside within an EU member state.
Other past posts we have written on the EU / Turkish exports issue:
You ask yourself – what is the point of giving millions of pounds to the EU each week when they disregard your evidence and are as useless as what they are ?
Vote out – and we say that to all EU member states.
Above – June 23rd – just as useless as EU politicians
– one thing and one thing only of interest to them – self survival !
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 