WAV Comment – Are we ever going to see the scales fall from the eyes of the European Commission ?

As welfare people, activists and campaigners, we have been showing and asking for the ‘bloody obvious changes’ by the Commission for decades; and in the vast majority of instances, our requests have been ignored.

Now we have yet another Commission report; something which they are very good at producing, but not usually following up on (regarding actions), which has involved over 60,000 responses and has reached the conclusion that ‘ a clear majority agreed that a revision of the current acquis is needed, that species are not protected equally, that more information is needed as well as better and easier enforcement

Live animal transport has always really been my ‘main thing’ – you can read more about it at https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/about-us/ – there is a lot here about investigation work and the efforts made to stop the live animal transport business.

I have witnessed the ‘dark side’ of live animal transport for decades: I did a lot of work re horses being exported for meat. From around 2004: To this day, Mark will never forget what was witnessed in the investigations into beautiful, live horses being exported from the UK to Europe as a scam for the meat trade under the guise of ‘riding horses’.  This, combined with live farm animal export work over the last 27 years or so has meant that the export of live farm animals is a top ‘hate’ and will always be campaigned against – be it in the UK, Europe, Australia, South America, North Africa, Anywhere ! – nobody needs to tell me how bloody useless the EU Commission is.

Click to access exh61.pdf

Things have not changed all these years later; and (Mark says) “in my mind I can still be there; watching, hearing, smelling what is in my opinion, just one of the biggest issues of animal abuse on the planet – anything to with the LIVE EXPORT trade”.  Despite the bad times, it only strengthens your resolve to work harder and put this business of utter cruelty into the history books where it belongs.

I (personally) do not hold out much hope for improvements by the non elected Commission; despite the wishes of the (EU) citizens, the endless evidence of abuses and non compliances provided by welfare groups – hopefully, and I wish for it more than just about anything, as I have for decades, the the scales of the abuses will fall from the eyes of the Commission masters who sit in their EU Ivory towers; promoting their own and nothing else much. Whatever, the fight goes on.

In 2012, Mark formally wrote to the EU Legal team regarding investigations by Dutch colleagues into the treatment of British calves exported from the UK to other EU nations such as Hungary.  Calves that were still being crated many years after the EU formally banned crating.

Regards Mark

31 March 2022

The European Commission has published their summary report of the contributions made by citizens, industry, public authorities and civil society organisations to the consultation on the future of animal welfare law in Europe, with the results showing a widespread desire for radical improvement, a desire for more information, and a furthering of protection to more species.

In October last year, the European Commission opened a landmark public consultation, asking citizens, farmers, businesses, Member State authorities and NGOs for their views and experiences on the fitness of the current rules relating to the welfare of animals in the EU, and to seek views on how they could be improved.

Nearly six months later, and with just under 60,000 responses in, we have the results, courtesy of the summary report (at bottom of page), which show:

A clear majority agreed that a revision of the current acquis is needed, that species are not protected equally, that more information is needed as well as better and easier enforcement

Majority support for the inclusion of more species within the scope of the legislation

Overwhelming support for a cage-free Europe 

A clear desire to see the end of waterbath stunning, the killing of day-old chicks and for new specific rules for the killing of farmed fish

An overriding wish from citizens to see max journey times for animals who are transported, a ban on live exports to third countries, and ban on the transport of unweaned calves

Massive support for an animal welfare label which also includes information on if or how animals have been transported and slaughtered, respectively.

It is these results that will now form the basis of the impact assessments that the Commission will draft for the new legislative proposals that will be adopted, most likely as a package, in the winter of 2023.

These results are very welcome, of course, but are no great surprise. “The organisations we represent day in, day out, have felt the weight of citizens’ expectations for change – for improvement – for years. I am only pleased that we now have clear signals that cannot be ignored. Vox populi, vox dei.

That the response rate was one of the highest ever seen by the Commission speaks volumes. We now expect the European Commission to quench the thirst for systemic change that flows through these results. The time for ambition is now. 

Whilst we expect proposals containing a swift phase out of caged systems, following the stunning success of the End the Cage Age European Citizens’ Initiative, we now expect a similar level of intent when it comes to ending live exports from the Union, to ending routine castration for pigs, waterbath stunning, the killing of day old chicks, and new powers to afford proper legal protection to the billions of other animals in Europe who deserve better, whether they be cattle, fish, poultry or pets. The citizens have spoken. Now it is time to honour their wishes.

Reineke Hameleers, Chief Executive of Eurogroup for Animals

Summary report

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Regards Mark

Chicken slaughterhouse blockaded by animal rights activists

Protesters have blocked trucks leaving a Hackney Wick abattoir this morning, demanding it be shutdown and replaced by community gardens. 

According to police, at around 8am Animal Rebellion activists used a lorry to blockade the road leading to the Kedassia abattoir on Smeed Road in Hackney Wick. 

Police were called at 8.14am on March 23

Some of the protesters have climbed on to the truck, to prevent it from leaving.

The lorry has been draped in a banner, dripping with red paint meant to symbolise blood. 

Protester and local resident Bel Jacobs said: “I’m a mother and I know that our kids need a space to learn how to grow vegetables, not kill birds.

“Community gardens would give us a much-needed green space and a social hub where everyone can meet and connect.”

The group is demanding Kedassia Poultry be shut down and replaced by community gardens – Credit: @sheepistakingphotos

Animal Rebellion say the abattoir is the “last remaining slaughterhouse in London”.

The action is part of a local campaign, called Gardens not Slaughterhouses, which wants to see the site transformed into community gardens.

 

Miranda Whelan, a spokesperson for Animal Rebellion, said: “We need to build a just and sustainable future by replacing slaughterhouses, which kill gentle and intelligent animals and damage the environment, with community gardens.

“Gardens improve the wellbeing of the local people and allow them to grow healthy, sustainable food.

“We are demanding that Kedassia shut down and let this land be used for something that will benefit the whole community.”

Kedassia Poultry Ltd is a Kosher chicken abattoir. It was targeted by a group of animal rights activists, calling themselves East London Chicken Save, in 2016, 

The animal and climate justice group state their protest aims to end animal suffering as well as to tackle climate change, claiming the Tower Hamlets abattoir kills thousands of chickens every week, produces “large amounts of waste” and that it wastes water.  

Those involved said that they waited for the chickens to be taken inside before blockading the entrance, “so as not to prolong their suffering”. 

The Gazette has attempted to contact Kedassia Poultry Ltd for comment.

Regards Mark

Animal Rebellion stage protest at Hackney Wick abattoir | East London Advertiser

17 March 2022

Animals International

Freiburg, 16th March 2022. Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF), Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) and Animals International (AI) have witnessed how an old, former cargo ship with nearly 8,000 animals on board needed to be replaced while at sea. Inadequate European legislation and its poor implementation regularly lead to prolonged suffering of animals exported outside the EU.

On February 23rd, the livestock carrier Spiridon II left Tarragona in Spain. The country is one of the main exporters of live animals in Europe. Around 300 young bulls from France and Spain as well as 7,600 Spanish sheep were on board. Their destination was the Port of Aqaba in Jordan. 

On February 27th, engine problems occurred. The journey was interrupted, and the ship spent three days near Greek ports. Unloading the animals onto European grounds was not an option. Once on the water, they are declared as so-called “export” animals and cannot re-enter the EU. This often leads to tragic consequences, such as the odysseys of Karim Allah and Elbeik in early 2021, where 2,600 calves and cattle were subjected to emergency slaughter. 

Spiridon II was finally brought to Eleusis, near Athens, Greece on March 4. There the 8,000 animals were loaded directly from one vessel to another, namely, the livestock carrier Adel I, via a ramp, on the water. The reason for this manoeuvre at sea was that the port of Eleusis is not authorised to transport animals to third countries. On long journeys like this, there is no veterinarian on board, regardless of the number of animals. This was also the case on Spiridon II. It remains unclear whether the animals were fit to continue the journey to Jordan after 10 days onboard the vessel. It also remains unclear whether unfit animals were emergency euthanised on site.

The livestock vessels currently operating in the EU were converted from car ferries or cargo ships to livestock carriers at the moment when they should have been scrapped because they were too obsolete to continue. They are ancient vessels, operating under suspicious flags, and are poorly designed and maintained. These vessels pose many risks for the safety of the animals, the crew, and the environment.

Maria Boada-Saña, Veterinarian and Project Manager at AWF

This latest event just adds to a long list of problematic live exports. And Spiridon II is just one of too many old vessels with many deficiencies and unexpected problems arising during the journey. NGOs have repeatedly drawn attention to the underlying problems. Emergencies at sea cannot be solved easily and result in longer transports. If the competent authorities lose responsibility for ships that have left port, any unforeseen incident can have tragic consequences, as the example of Elbeik and Karim Allah shows. There should be a systematic approach to solving the problem instead of makeshift solutions for every single case. 

NGOs exposed that during exports by sea, Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 on animal transports cannot be complied with. This shows once again that the current legislation and the ruling of the European Court of Justice do not ensure real protection of animals during the entire transport.

Once more, this latest incident reveals the severe flaws of EU’s live animal exports. The horrendous suffering that animals endure during live exports and the all too frequent mechanical problems of the vessels cannot go unnoticed. We urge the EU Commission to take immediate action on this matter. The current revision of the EU’s animal welfare rules presents the perfect opportunity to ban this cruelty once and for all.

Olga Kikou, Head of CIWF EU

Spiridon II remained in the port of Eleusis until March 8, when it left for reparation. The animals who survived the stressful journey so far arrived in Jordan on March 9, to be slaughtered in the most shocking and cruel conditions which are illegal in the EU.

Gabriel Paun, Animals International

Regards Mark

Related Past:

England: A Snapshot of the Maritime Livestock Trade – Vessels Currently Shipping Live Animals Around the World. A Disgusting Animal Abuse Issue.

10 March 2022

The Aquaculture Advisory Council (AAC) has published its Recommendations to the European Commission and the Member States, one on fish welfare in live transport, and on setting up a Fish Welfare Reference Centre.

Most fish in European aquaculture are moved between sites at least once during their life, and many are moved several times between or within sites. The live transport of fish is governed by EU regulation 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport but currently contains provisions that cannot and should not be applied in fish transport.

As part of the Farm to Fork Strategy, the European Commission is now reviewing this regulation with a view to making a new legislative proposal. Eurogroup for Animals, Compassion in World Farming, and Vissenbescherming, have worked with aquaculture producers and other stakeholders in the AAC to develop these consensus positions.

Regarding fish welfare in live fish transport, the AAC notes that it is necessary to take the specific needs of fish, and sometimes species-specific needs, into consideration when establishing rules for animal and fish transport. The AAC makes detailed recommendations covering:

1. Pre-transport planning and preparations, including proper vehicles and equipment

2. Journey preparations, inspecting and preparing the fish and equipment

3. Loading and unloading, for most finfish species the most stressful part of live transport. 

4. The journey itself should be gentle, with continual monitoring of oxygen and temperature.

5. Post-journey monitoring of appetite, behaviours, disease and mortality. 

DG-SANTE, in cooperation with Member States, has already set up Animal Welfare Reference Centres in relation to pig welfare, poultry welfare and ruminants’ and equines’ welfare. The AAC has now made the recommendation that a fish welfare reference centre should be established to address the welfare of fish and other farmed aquatic animals that are produced and imported into the EU. 

The AAC highlights priorities for the reference centre including:

• the development of species-specific guidelines, 
• establishing validated indicators,
• covering all stages including hatcheries, rearing, transport and slaughter.

Read more at source

Aquaculture Advisory Council

Regards Mark

17 February 2022

A study requested by the International Trade (INTA) committee of the European Parliament analyses the trade aspects of the EU-Mercosur agreement and recognises that the animal welfare provisions foreseen in the agreement are weak. However, the study wrongly states that imports of animal products must comply with EU animal welfare standards.

Eurogroup for Animals welcomes the study published in November 2021 as far as it recognises that animal welfare “is closely linked to sustainable development” and that the current deal “gives rise to questions as to whether [it] fully responds to the EU’s strong stand on the issue of animal welfare as such and its potential trade implications”. As long stated by Eurogroup for Animals, the EU-Mercosur agreement is a bad deal for animals, nature and people.

However, the study misunderstands the requirements that imports of animal products need to comply with, and hence wrongly concludes that the conditional liberalisation for egg products included in the deal is “closing a gap” for imports of animal products. Indeed, the study argues that in the EU, “animal welfare standards are quite ambitious”, and that given the ongoing revision of the animal welfare legislation and the European Citizen Initiative “End The Cage Age”, these standards “are likely to be defined even more strictly in the future”. As a consequence, the study suggests trade implications “since exporters are often required to conform with EU legislation by way of a certificate on equivalence to be presented on importation (calves, pigs, slaughtering, transports)”. Furthermore, the study, while analysing the liberalisation of agri-food trade, wrongly states that “in general, all products need to fulfil animal welfare standards”.

This seems to be a confusion between animal welfare standards and general import standards. Imports of animal products, which are often produced under poor animal welfare standards, do not need to comply with EU-equivalent animal welfare standards (on farm practices or transport), except for those at the time of slaughter. And imports of live animals, which are low, need certification mainly on health issues. Import standards are for instance, veterinary controls and maximum residue levels (MRLs) for pesticides.

This misunderstanding possibly led the study to assume a “notable exception” for egg products that would not need to comply with animal welfare standards. This “notable exception” would be “addressed by the preferential scheme on eggs, as the EU attached a condition to its liberalisation offer in view of compliance with relevant EU standards”.  However, the conditional liberalisation on shell eggs, far from “closing a gap”, is merely a step in the right direction with the first animal welfare-based condition in a trade agreement. 

Eurogroup for Animals calls on the EU to uphold the objectives of the Farm to Fork Strategy, and to take the opportunity of the revision of the animal welfare legislation to include a trade aspect in the future EU legislation on animal welfare. In parallel, the EU could extend the conditional liberalisation of the trade in shelled eggs, and to agree on animal welfare and sustainability-based conditions required to access tariff-rate quotas or liberalisation in all animal products, including the respect of EU-equivalent animal welfare standards. 

Regards Mark

You can read lots here about Jill and her death at Coventry airport whilst trying to stop the export of live calves.  Visit the links at:

Search Results for “jill phipps” – World Animals Voice

Jill was killed on 1/2/1995.  The link given above will provide a lot of different information on her life, her death trying to protect animals; and the people involved in it; including (her death), Christopher Barrett-Jolley, was a known gun runner who had flown arms to vulnerable developing countries including South Yemen and Sierra Leone.  He was behind the calf shipments from Coventry, and was later jailed for 20 years for attempting to smuggle 270 kg of cocaine into Southend airport, Essex, England.

England: There Is More To The Jill Story When You Have the Facts. – World Animals Voice

We will never forget the actions of Jill; and this is a simple tribute to an animal advocate who was murdered, literally, by a system that at the time viewed animal rights activists as the ‘bad’ ones; rather than looking more into the actions of the ‘other side’ who were involved in the abuses.

Thank you Jill for your actions – you will never be forgotten.

Regards Mark