North East MEP Fiona Hall says "Neighhh" to live horse transportation across Europe for slaughter

3.30.00pm GMT Mon 15th Dec 2008

Had Black Beauty been alive today, he might have found himself loaded onto a cramped lorry, then transported thousands of miles across Europe without rest. If this wasn't bad enough, to save on costs he would have been given no food or water - despite the 40 degrees sweltering heat - before being slaughtered at the other end for his meat.

This is the harrowing reality faced by 100,000 horses transported in inhumane conditions across Europe every year, as demand for horsemeat grows steadily in countries such as France, Italy and Belgium.

North East Lib Dem MEP Fiona Hall has joined with the charity World Horse Welfare, to say 'no' to the callous practice of live transportation of horses across Europe for slaughter, when existing EU law comes up for review in 2009.

UK legislation already effectively prevents live transport of horses to Europe. Instead, horses are slaughtered in the UK, before the meat is exported abroad for consumption.

Fiona said: "Horsemeat trade is still the largest abuse of horses in Europe, but UK law shows that there is a more humane way. In Britain, 5,000 horses are saved a degrading journey to their deaths by being slaughtered in the UK and their meat then exported abroad.

"At the very least we need to improve the way horses are treated on long haul journeys. EU Governments also need to step up their game and control animal transportation to make sure EU rules are adhered to for those horses entering the EU from non-EU countries.

"That is why we need to push for obligatory 24 hours rest periods for animal transports before entering the EU, as well as a European requirement to label horsemeat with its country of origin and not the country of slaughter.

"However, the most humane way to trade in horsemeat will always be carcass-only trade, and this is what I will continue to push for."

Fiona has signed a written declaration calling for a debate in the European Parliament on the issue of horse transportation for slaughter.