MEP accuses the EU of ‘gesture politics’ on welfare of animals during transport
During a debate in the European Parliament (11.12.12) in Strasbourg, on the protection of animals during transport, Stuart Agnew MEP, the UKIP agriculture spokesman, has accused the EU of ‘gesture politics’ and called for existing legislation to be more widely enforced rather than new regulations being imposed on British farmers.
Mr Agnew said: “We already have adequate legislation on animal welfare. What’s missing is enforcement of current rules. In the UK, we have two inspection bodies; the RSPCA and Trading Standards. They will frequently be present at markets and abattoirs where lorries full of livestock are being unloaded.” He went to describe the stringent inspections that would be carried out by these organisations.
“These people will prosecute if they are not happy with what they find. I object, in the strongest possible terms to politicians from countries where they engage in things like bull baiting, lecturing me and other farmers on how to transport our livestock.”
Mr Agnew was particularly scathing about plans to introduce a maximum journey time of eight hours. “There is nothing scientific about eight hours. It is merely a random figure. It is gesture politics.”
