Tackling animal welfare in Europe and at home
March 29, 2004 2:05 PM
Simon Cordon, with Surrey MEP Chris Huhne. They have been talking to animal owners in our area about welfare issues and the work the LibDems are doing in the European Parliament to tackle animal welfare abuses.
Britain must find a way of saving ponies from the knackers' yards of continental horse meat traders, according to LibDem campaigners Simon Cordon and Chris Huhne MEP.
South East Region MEP Chris Huhne made the plea after moves to end the existing arrangements, which stop the export of horses for the meat trade from Britain to the EU.
"The problem is that the last Conservative government gave up a special exemption for Britain when it agreed an updating of the EU Animal Transportation directive in 1995, and the pressure is now on to allow free trade in horsemeat", said Chris.
Chris pointed to several possible courses of action. "The Government could negotiate a new exemption, or it could force a ban on the transport of unbroken ponies, on the grounds that this would be too stressful. Alternatively, there could be an insistence of high standards of separation for sea crossings that would add so much to costs that the trade would be unprofitable".
SW Surrey LibDem Parliamentary Spokesman, Simon Cordon, is backing Chris Huhne's campaign. "MPs must press the Government to prioritise this issue and recognise that horses and ponies are regarded in the same light in Britain as family pets, and are not just another farm animal to be sold to the knackers' yard", said Simon.
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