Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

Dear campaigner friends worldwide,

Have we had enough of the European Union (EU) ? – you bet we have.

Here is a reflection to summarise what the EU has done for one of my main welfare / investigation campaigns for (me) the last 26 years – live animal transport / live exports.

This is quite a long post.  It is long because of the continual problems associated with live EU born animals being exported to Turkey – a non EU nation, which slaughters animals without stunning; which is in direct opposition to the standards and regulations of the EU which declare that animals should be stunned before their throats are cut.  Note that even in the EU, many gutless national governments do not even attempt to stop non-stun slaughter in their own nations because they fear religious comeback.  Hence some non stun slaughter is undertaken in Europe; but with most sensible nations; most animals are still stunned prior to their slaughter.  Obviously, EU nations do not have the backbone to say to certain religions ‘you are in Europe now; we stun animals before slaughter and you therefore will do the same’; they run scared and have to allow religions to practice just whatever they want anywhere in the EU, regardless of EU regulations.  Oh does this ring a bell so much !

Our petition against live EU animals being exported to Turkey is still going – you can access and sign at the following if you have not done so already –  http://www.thepetitionsite.com/763/168/053/eu-commissioners-fail-live-animals-transported-to-turkey./?taf_id=22743166&cid=email_na

You can see the disturbing video on the same EU – Turkey exports issue made by  Lesley at ‘yes on Animals’ (NL) by clicking on the following link –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udReHkAumrY&feature=youtu.be

Remember that this evidence has been gathered on the Turkish border for well over 5 years.  Lesley’s disturbing video is a culmination of 5 years of frustration – presenting the clear evidence of abuses to the EU Commissions; who then just sit, bury their heads in the sand, and DO NOTHING.

Clear video evidence has been presented many, many times to the EU ‘officials’, although  we would give them another name; and despite what is clear documented and filmed evidence; the EU HAS DONE NOTHING !

Officials at the EU such as Marco Valetta and Bernard Van Gorthem; the very people who they claim are responsible for ‘animal welfare’ at the EU, and who should be acting in defence of animals, continue to spout their weasel words of improvements and meetings; both of which amount to nothing.

Have a laugh at this:

http://www.politico.eu/article/policing-the-food-chain/     “Policing the food chain –

Bernard Van Goethem on why working for the European Commission is preferable to having his arm up the back end of a cow”.

“Food safety in the broad sense is the responsibility of the vets,” he says. For him and 200 other veterinarians employed by the Commission, that task involves not only ensuring the welfare of animals, starting with the quality of vegetables and grain used in animal feed and controlling pesticide levels and residues, but also monitoring and tracking food in their ‘farm to fork’ approach of standards, controls and checks”.

 

Ensuring the welfare of EU animals – but maybe not to Turkey eh !

Above – Bernard Van Goethem.

When are you actually going to start ‘ensuring the welfare of animals’ Mr Van Goethem ? – we have clear evidence that you appear to do nothing re EU – Turkey exports.  All talk and no action as usual.

We say again; the EU Commission is utterly useless, and the people who work in animal welfare within it are even lower – they talk the talk but in reality they do very little.  What is more important – a hand up the back end of a cow or working at the EU Commission and having your head buried in the sand ? – ask Mr Van Goethem; he may give you an answer if he pulls his head out.

At the end of this post you will find many of our links which relate to the work we have been undertaking on EU – Turkey live exports.  This will hopefully give you a little insight into the work that we and many others such as Lesley and her crew are doing / have been doing to show how utterly useless the EU Commission and its officials are when it actually comes to their prime responsibility, which is looking after the welfare of animals.  The EU has a Regulation which should be enforced by ALL its member states – it is Regulation 1/2005 on ’the welfare of animals during transport’.  Here is a link to this legislation which you can read in many formats and languages – http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/en/ALL/?uri=CELEX:32005R0001   – just select ‘your’ language and format you wish to read in.  For example, the English version can be found at ‘EN’; and you can select either PDF or HTML styles.

Below you can read the latest from Lesley.  As she says; “it is the worst it has ever been”.  Where is Van Goethem ? – the man at the EU who has the task of ensuring the welfare of animals ? – little head deep in the sand again no doubt.

It is because of complete and utter incompetents like Van Goethem that the British people have now voted to get out of the EU.  Who wants to sit and listen to crap from people like him all day when they never do anything ? – “ensuring g the welfare of animals” – ask the pregnant ows giving birth on livestock transporters at the Turkish border who exactly is ensuring their welfare !! – Big clue – certainly not van Goethem and all his other Commission sand headers.

Please mail van Goethem and Marco Valetta and tell them both how utterly useless they are in every ones eyes.

Here are their e mail addresses:

Van Goethem –  Bernard.Van-Goethem@ec.europa.eu

Marco Valetta –  marco.valetta@ec.europa.eu

Fed up with EU incompetents; glad the UK has voted ‘OUT’ ?

– YOU BET I AM.

Mark.

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Message from Lesley:

Dear donors and friends,

Only a few weeks ago we were at the Turkey/EU border inspecting livestock trucks arriving from all over Europe and heading towards slaughterhouses and farms throughout Turkey. We wish we could tell you that the situation has finally improved at this border crossing but the suffering of the animals was the worst it has ever been. Because the control post in Bulgaria was temporarily closed (there was a disease outbreak in Bulgaria of Lumpy Skin) the animals were on board for longer than ever without being unloaded to receive water and feed and fresh bedding and air. Several cattle on board different trucks collapsed and died from exhaustion, heat stress and dehydration right before our eyes. Five pregnant heifers had no choice but to give birth on board the crowded trucks while waiting at the border. One pregnant cow didn’t survive this stress. The drivers pulled so hard at the dead unborn calf stuck in her that her whole uterus was torn. Here below is a daily account of our efforts at the border. By clicking on the photo, you can read the details of each inspection day.

Doomed journey video – 8/7/16.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOVtq-M0-Is

Meanwhile one of our teams was in Turkey documenting and assisting the animals at the border, another team was in the Netherlands and alerting all the responsible EU and Member State authorities and media about the urgent situation there. We even managed to give a talk to the members of the European Parliament about the problems on this route.

A bit of light at the end of the tunnel: The Netherlands now forbids transport to Turkey in the summer We have a small piece of good news: the Dutch livestock sector has agreed to not export animals to Turkey at least in the months of July and August as of now. This was included in their heat-protocol. Eyes on Animals was involved in the development of this heat protocol, together with the Dutch authorities.

Exposure of this animals cruelty in the media Last Sunday Lesley Moffat, director of Eyes on Animals, was on the popular Sunday-morning Dutch radio program “VroegeVogels” talking about the cruelty to animals sent on this route. Karen Soeters, director of the scientific-research office of the Dutch Political Party for Animals and founder of PiepVandaag was also interviewed. She and her team had joined our team in Turkey for 2 days. Listen to the radio program here.

Additionally, for the past few months, a German journalist has been working on an in-depth TV documentary about the suffering of animals sent on this export route and our efforts. Eyes on Animals and our dear colleagues at AWF|TSB are both interviewed. It should be broadcasted on July 31th on the German TV program “Europamagazin”.  Read more on their website

You can help! Sadly, in a world where money, it is not easy changing the situation on the ground for animals very quickly. Patience is required but we must not give up! The European Commission, authorities from the exporting Member States and transporters are feeling our pressure and exposure more and more and a time will indeed come when this will stop. PiepVandaag and Eyes on Animals have started a petition against the export of animals to Turkey so that everyone can help take action. Please will you sign this petition today?

Thanks to your donations we were able to be at the EU/Turkey border last week to record and expose the cruelty to animals and on-going violations. Thanks to your donations we were able to be there, where the animals are, to give them water and call for help. We are extremely grateful for your support. Please do continue to support us. The animals need us to be there more than ever!

 As you can see below; we have ben attempting to improve conditions for EU animals transported to Turkey – we hate it and we will fight it:

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2016/04/29/england-29416-sav-today-sent-formal-reply-from-eu-commission-on-live-animal-exports-to-turkey/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2016/04/05/netherlands-live-exports-eu-turkey-from-eyes-on-animals/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2016/04/05/england-eu-live-exports-to-turkey-latest-news-4416/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2016/03/08/england-eu-turkey-live-exports-update-8316/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2016/03/05/england-sav-now-formally-write-to-the-eu-regarding-eu-to-turkey-animal-transport/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2015/08/25/netherlands-eoa-information-regarding-investigations-into-eu-cattle-being-transported-to-turkey-for-slaughter/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2016/04/06/england-further-update-turkish-live-exports-6416/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2016/04/01/england-response-from-eu-regarding-turkish-live-export-petition/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2015/11/25/england-over-176000-eu-citizens-sign-to-stop-live-exports/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2016/06/29/mr-van-goethem-resign-now/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2016/06/17/uk-map-proves-uk-is-ready-to-wave-eu-goodbye-van-goethem-and-others-have-failed-the-animals/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2016/06/07/eu-must-ensure-animal-welfare-or-mr-van-goethem-will-get-you-and-the-next-joke-is/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2016/06/06/the-eu-excuses-get-more-pathetic-by-the-day-contact-mr-van-goethem-and-show-your-disgust/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2016/07/04/europe-how-much-more-pathetic-can-dg-sante-get-weasel-words-that-mean-nothing/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2014/10/24/england-eu-response-to-our-letter-and-evidence-to-commissioner-borg-re-live-animal-transport/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2016/07/14/england-netherlands-gripes-about-live-animal-transport-and-an-excellent-new-video-sent-by-lesley/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2016/02/25/england-25216-al-uk-meps-now-supplied-with-video-copy-and-letter-sav-also-supplies-video-and-letter-to-the-european-parliaments-press-service/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2013/07/10/europe-all-eu-citizens-your-meps-in-europe-do-they-support-the-8-hour-limit/

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

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UPDATE 22/7/16

We immediately sent the above gripe to Mr Van Goethem – after all he should be made fully aware of his failings and how we view his inactions for EU animals destined for Turkey.  We flagged the message and have had confirmation that it has been read – see below response.

The real question though is will the EU do anything or will they continue to just speak weasel words whilst burying their heads into the sand when it comes to being provided with the real evidence such as the videos.  If Mr Van Goethem says it is the responsibility of member states to enforce the rules; then we have to ask what is the point of having him and the Commission ? – do we need those who pass the responsibility to others ? they should be taking action against rogue states who do not enforce, rather than have yet another ‘meeting’.

Definition of a ‘meeting’ –

Those who individually can do nothing, but who together decide that nothing can be done.

Maybe now; after many years of gathering clear evidence and breaches of the regulations, for which the EU does nothing as a result; campaigners in other parts of the EU will realise that ‘their EU’ is nothing really; just a monolith of people being paid big salaries and who in return really do nothing but throw the problems back at individual states anyway.  Big money for actually doing very little.

The UK has voted (much to the disgust of the EU elite !) to get out or Europe; away from all these do nothings; and we hope that now people of the Netherlands, France, Germany, Denmark etc will actually see the real light that the EU is failing them all big time; such as this very typical example.  Already the UK is getting big talks going from other places around the world re new trade deals etc.  The EU is prehistoric monolith – all talk and no real action.

If you are paid members of a club, this is where you need the management of a club to act when members break the rules.  This is where the EU fails – they don’t act and prosecute individual member states who do not enforce the rules – 1/2005 on the welfare of animals in transport, for example.

We call it the EU Commission – what about you !

Your message

To: VAN GOETHEM Bernard (SANTE)
Subject:
Sent: 22 July 2016 00:10:01 (UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris

was read on 22 July 2016 03:02:46 (UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris.

 

 

 

 

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