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 30, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
In this moment we have big debt for boarding kennel fee for 4 dogs . For Mikro, Zuca , Maza and Srna no one helps… debt is too big, and we have just few days to collect amount of debt or they will go back to street.
Lina’s Animal Rescue is small organisation located in Coka, Serbia. In this moment we have big debt for boarding kennel fee for 4 dogs . Mikro, Zuca , Maza and Srna have just few days to collect amount of debt or they will go back to street. Mikro was saved as starving puppy from the street . Now he is 2 years old and he will not survive street after so much time on safe.His curent debt is 5x 60€ = 300€( boarding kennel and food for 5 months )
Zuca is senior , rescued from street just day before dog catchers were here to collect his fur friends. Zuca had sponsor for food so his debt is 5x 40€ = 200€ ( boarding kennel fee for one month is 40€). Also we have debt for Zuca’s boarding in Januarz so his total debt is 240€. Maza was saved from high kill public shelter in terrible condition. She was ill and starved . She still has health problems and street is not place for her . Her curent debt is 5×60€ = 300€ Srna was left on the street with heart problems . She was not good for hunting to her prvious owners. Now she is healed , but still she would not survive on the cruel street. Her debt is : 4× 60€= 240€ . Total amount that we urgent need to collect is 1080€ in next week. If not, they will have to leave boarding kennel. For them , in Serbia that mean death. Please, help them. There is no small amount . Every € mean a lot for this souls . Please, help them also with sharing . If you want to help and be monthly sponsor , inform us via anmalrescueserbia@gmail.com or in our facebook group : https://www.facebook.com/groups/242713556066360/
FOUR REASONS TO CRY: RESCUED ELEPHANTS BEING FORCED BACK INTO CIRCUS
On May 27, 2016, four abused elephants who were blind, chained, injured, and forced to perform illegally were rescued in Pune by your Government. For this action, we applaud your leadership and compassion.
Regretfully, I have just heard that the Precious Four elephants rescued from Rambo Circus have been ordered to go back and resume a life in chains. On behalf of these four elephants. I feel great outrage on this miscarriage of justice. These four elephants, who have survived decades of cruelty, were finally allowed a few weeks of freedom and peace after their rescue. For the first time they received veterinary care, baths, and nutritious food. Nothing could be more brutal and cruel than sending these elephants back to a life of misery and toil in the circus. For such cruelty to prevail in India — the land of ahimsa and compassion — would be seen as shameful internationally.
I implore you to use your authority under Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and other relevant laws to take action on behalf of the Precious Four elephants. On behalf of Lord Ganesh, please show mercy.
Posted on June 29, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
We had to include this flag just to show what a complete joke EU animal welfare is.
UPDATE 30/6/16 – – we have now had confirmation that our message asking Mr Van Goethem to resign has been received and read. Will anything happen ? – most probably not; but until the useless EU steps up to the plate and takes action we will continue to hassle.
Your message
To: VAN GOETHEM Bernard (SANTE)
Subject: Resign now and dont let animals continue to suffer !
Sent: 29 June 2016 16:50:34 (UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris
was read on 30 June 2016 11:59:52 (UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris.
Your message
To: PRATS MONNE Xavier (SANTE)
Subject: Resign now and dont let animals continue to suffer !
Sent: 29 June 2016 16:50:34 (UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris
was read on 29 June2016 16:51:27 (UTC+01:00) Brussels, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris.
————————————————————–
Below you will find a typical useless EU example of why many people in the UK decided to leave the EU. Bernard Van Goethem and the others are people who in reality do nothing, whilst at the same time preach the rules of EU Regulation 1/2005 on the welfare of animals in transport. All the time animals suffer whilst these incompetents are in charge.
We call on Mr Van Goethem to resign from his pathetic no action position immediately.
You can send a copy of this post directly to him at
Bernard.Van-Goethem@ec.europa.eu
Copy to xavier.prats-monne@ec.europa.eu
—————————————————————-
Dear Bernard van Goethem, and for the attention of director general of SANTE Mr. Xavier Prats Monne,
Since 2010 we have been sending detailed reports, photos and videos to the Commission of our observations of livestock consignments coming from throughout the EU and trying to enter Turkey and warning that this route is a mess.
On June 3rd 2016, roughly one month ago, York Ditfurth, Director of TSB|AWF and myself, Director of Eyes on Animals, met with you and your team in Brussels to again explicitly ask for your help to do everything in your capacity to put an end to the on-going non-compliance and suffering of animals on this route.
As you knew, the only control post in Bulgaria was again closed, this time due to Lumpy Skin disease and the one in Romania would be full. We informed you of the frustration officials from Member States felt, not receiving clear and prompt instructions from the EU Commission on what action they could and should take. You promised to improve and increase communication with the Member States to instruct them on what to do to avoid any crisis again this summer.
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:
“Journey time exceeded! Planning not adhered to! Due to the complicated epizootic situation in Bulgaria, the animals continue the journey in accordance with art. 23 of Reg. 1/2005.”
It is totally unacceptable for the Bulgarian authorities to ignore breaches of 1/2005 that have taken place and that will probably take place once the animals leave the EU by relying on Article 23 on a regular basis.
Article 23 is designed to deal with emergencies; Article 23.2(d) should not be used to regularly allow non-complaint consignments to continue to their destination in Turkey.
It is impossible to comply with 1/2005 at the border. Article 3(a) provides that all necessary arrangements must be made “in advance to minimise the length of the journey and meet animals’ needs during the journey”. Article 3(f) provides that the transport must be “carried out without delay to the place of destination and the welfare conditions of the animals [must be] regularly checked and appropriately maintained”. Article 22.2 provides that “If any consignment of animals has to be detained during transport for more than two hours, the competent authority shall ensure that appropriate arrangements are made for the care of the animals and, where necessary, their feeding, watering, unloading and accommodation.” As it is impossible to comply with these provisions Member States of departure should not at this stage approve journey logs for export to Turkey.
We politely insist that you take immediate personal contact with the Bulgarian authorities so that, as of immediately, no more EU livestock trucks are allowed to exit the EU at this border crossing, leaving the animals to a horrendous fate beyond the EU control.
The letter you sent out only yesterday to the CVOs is sadly too late, and we are worried that the bureaucracy of leaving communication of such an important nature to emails will result in more delay to get any significant changes in the field now. This route cannot handle the volume of animals, and the temperatures are soaring and the infrastucture lacking.
I would like to request a response at your earliest convenience,
Lesley Moffat
Lesley Moffat, MSc Ethology Eyes on Animals – Director
Posted on June 28, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
No matter where in the world you are, you can make a difference for live animals in transport. They ARE NOT freight. Support the crew at CIWF by signing your team / group/ whatever ? for the day of action in August.
Full contact details for Kate and a link to the new website are included below. Regards SAV.
Dear Friends, The worldwide Animals Are Not Freight day of action (August 29th) has been joined by 33 groups in 23 countries.
And it’s not too late for you to pledge your support, too. The website is almost ready to be made public, but I can share it with you now: http://notfreight.org/wp/
All we ask is that you commemorate the day in some way, such as: * Social media posting * A photo stunt for the media * A demonstration * A vigil for the animals who have died And we will put your event / action on the website, and your logo on the front page.
This is a day when groups around the world will come together to oppose long distance animal transport. Can you join us?
Kate Fowler
PS.
Groups in these countries have confirmed they are taking part: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, India, Iraq, Italy, Israel, Liberia, Nepal, Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK & USA.
