press release from the office of Richard Corbett MEP
22 October 2003
Horse transportation: schoolchildren team up with Labour MEP
Pupils from Brigshaw High School , Allerton Bywater , will this Friday ask Richard Corbett MEP to present a petition to the European Parliament on the subject of transporting horses across long distances.
The petition will echo concerns expressed by horse and pony protection groups over Europe-wide animal transportation rules proposed earlier this week by the European Commission.
And Richard today raised the issue with the chair of the all-party Animal Welfare Intergroup in the European Parliament.
"The Commission proposal is intended to tighten up the rules for transporting animals within the European Union," Richard explained, "but I don't think it goes far enough."
Under the new proposals, animals may be transported for a maximum of 9 hours in one go. But they can then be kept in the vehicle for an 8-hour 'break', following which they can be transported for a further 9 hours, and so on indefinitely.
"And there is no provision for allowing the horses out of the vehicles even during the breaks, which is crucial so that drivers can check for signs of injury or distress. Personally I would like to see an upper limit of 8 or 9 hours' travel, full stop," said Richard.
Another area of doubt is around the question of whether the new EU rules would conflict with existing British legislation, which bans the export of horses altogether, according to welfare group International League for the Protection of Horses.
Richard promised to bring the issue to the attention of other MEPs and to press for the proposal to be revised.
He said: "When this comes before the European Parliament, we want to be ready. The welfare of horses and other animals needs to be protected, and this is an opportunity to do that."
ends
Notes for editors
The issue of horse transport across Europe has been raised by lobby groups including the Horses And Ponies Protection Association (HAPPA), the Eurogroup for Animal Welfare, and the International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH).
The Animal Welfare Intergroup is an informal all-party MEP forum based in the European Parliament.More information
Contact Toby Wardman, Press & Communications Officer for Richard Corbett MEP
phone 0113 245 8987
e-mail toby@richardcorbett.org.uk