Published 14/01/2009

On Wednesday 14 January, MEPs and Compassion in World Farming gather in Strasbourg to launch the Europe-wide petition to stop live animals being transported for more than eight hours to slaughter.

Danish Social Democrat Dan Jørgensen, Richard Corbett from the British Labour Party and Swedish Green Party Jens Holm, want to put pressure on the European Commission:

"We need better regulation to protect animals from suffering during transport and today we ask the European public to help us create that pressure. We hope to collect one million signatures on the internet," says Dan Jørgensen.

These signatures will be submitted to the European Agriculture Ministers, prior to the revision of the EU Transport Regulation later this year.

Every year, millions of animals are transported huge distances across Europe only to be slaughtered at journey's end. Packed into overcrowded trucks, animals are often given no - or far too little - food, water or rest. As the journeys progress, the animals become increasingly exhausted and dehydrated. Some succumb to heat stress and can be seen desperately panting and gasping for air. In the worst cases, many die.

Richard Corbett says: "A common rule for the common market that clearly and simply limits the transportation of farm animals for slaughter to eight hours would be a huge step forward for animal welfare. Many would wish to go further but I am convinced that this is a proposal with a realistic chance of adoption."

The 2004 Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Animal Health and Welfare of the European Food Safety Authority stressed that animal transport should "be avoided wherever possible and journeys should be as short as possible". This recommendation is, however, not reflected in the current EU legislation.

"Millions of animals are transported between the European countries every year. A limit on eight hours would be a great and feasible step forward," says Jens Holm.

Compassion in World Farming is delighted to support the MEPs and their petition calling for an EU-wide limit of eight hours on journeys to slaughter.

We believe that the long distance transport of animals to slaughter should be brought to an end. Animals should be slaughtered as near as possible to the farm of rearing; the meat can then be transported to wherever it is wanted.

If you agree, please sign the petition on www.8hours.eu.

Take action

• Sign the petition
• Get involved with our campaign against long distance transport
• Read the Compassion in World Farming report: Long Distance Animal Transport in Europe: A Cruel and Unnecessary Trade, by Peter Stevenson, March 2008.
• Support us today

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