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World Horse Welfare is dismayed that the European Commission is not proposing any changes to legislation governing the long-distance transportation of horses to slaughter in Europe, despite recognising that “severe animal welfare problems persist” and that scientific evidence supports the charity’s call for change.

A long-awaited European Commission report published yesterday on the protection of animals during transport proposes more effective enforcement, rather than change, of existing laws to address welfare problems.

While the charity welcomes improved enforcement, as well as “guides to good practice” for transporters on issues such as fitness to travel and water provision, it is deeply disappointed that its evidence-based and scientifically-endorsed recommendation for a 9 - 12-hour maximum journey limit has not been adopted.

In campaigning for changes that would improve the existing law we have consistently presented the Commission with compelling evidence that horses suffer on these journeys, which around 80,000 horses take to slaughter each year, and clear evidence of public support for change. Last month we handed over to the Commission a Dossier of Evidence of the negative impact of long-distance transportation on horses with recommendations on how horse welfare can be improved.

Campaigns advisor Jo White says: “We are dismayed that the report has not proposed changes to this inadequate law despite their recognition that the current Regulation does not follow the latest scientific evidence. Experts from the European Food Safety Authority have recommended a shortened journey time for horses for slaughter, yet despite featuring this in the report the Commission gives no commitment to act. This is of grave concern as journey times, resting times and space allowances have been left unchanged since 1991.

“We support better enforcement, but only as part of a package of measures including shortened journey times. A maximum journey limit would be simpler to enforce and is totally feasible with the existing infrastructure of slaughterhouses approved to slaughter horses. It is possible to reach such a slaughterhouse from anywhere in the EU within 9 -12 hours.

“We are pleased that the report addresses the need for “guides to good practice” for transporters. We believe that guidance is desperately needed on interpretation of the rules on fitness to transport and on water provision, and we have raised this with the Commission before the publication of the report and in our Dossier of Evidence.”

Although the report states that the current Regulation has had “beneficial impacts on the welfare of animals during transport” since being put in place in 2007, it admits that “severe animal welfare problems persist”.

White explains: “We carry out regular field investigations and, based upon our observations, we believe that the report overstates the improvements to animal welfare following the introduction of the Regulation in 2007. Levels of suffering remain unacceptably high, and enforcement is inconsistent. We regularly observe horses that are clearly unfit for transport and totally exhausted, where little no veterinary attention is given and they are transported regardless.”

World Horse Welfare also has concerns about the data used to compile the report – believing that the questionnaire used was flawed. This issue was raised with both the Commission and contractor at the time.

We also note that the Commission has concluded that Member States must improve enforcement – but in the current economic climate investment in enforcement of the Regulation as it stands will be a challenge.

Jo White continues “We need to keep pushing until the Commission realise that their decision is wrong and that the introduction of a maximum journey limit is crucial to stop the single biggest abuse of horses in Europe. We urgently request that the Commission listens to scientists and takes the first steps by proposing such a limit.”

Read more about World Horse Welfare’s campaign and download a copy of the charity’s latest Dossier of Evidence, which outlines the suffering these journeys cause: www.worldhorsewelfare.org/takeaction