Scottish farmers and hauliers say No to more EU red tape

Angry Scottish farmers and hauliers have voiced their unanimous opposition to more red tape from Brussels on animal transport.

At a special meeting in Wick yesterday (March 1), organised by Scots Tory MEP Struan Stevenson, they said that instead of forcing more regulation on already-compliant Scottish livestock farmers and haulage firms, the EU should concentrate on making sure all member states abide by existing rules.

The European Commission is proposing new regulations covering the transport of livestock for slaughter, even though the current rules only came into force in 2007.

On the last occasion, Struan Stevenson successfully fought Scotlands corner, winning important derogations, or exemptions, for farmers in remote parts of Scotland. The Commission had wanted to impose an eight-hour travel time limit even though the ferry from Shetland to Aberdeen takes at least 14 hours.

But while Scottish firms have played by the rules and invested in expensive new vehicles to ensure animals are transported humanely, other EU states have shown a flagrant disregard.

Just last week, the European Commissions Food and Veterinary Office published a damning report cataloguing breaches of the rules in parts of Spain, which slammed official inaction in dealing with the problems.

Mr Stevenson said:

The meeting was heated at times and the message coming through loud and clear was a resounding no to even more red tape.

Since the new rules were introduced in January 2007, they have been strictly observed by farmers and hauliers in Scotland. We now have some of the highest welfare standards for the transportation of animals anywhere in Europe.

Sadly, the new rules have not been implemented with the same vigour elsewhere. Cross border journeys in Southern and Eastern Europe in overcrowded trucks, with poor ventilation and sometimes in searing heat waves have been filmed by animal welfare organisations.

However, I simply do not agree that each time someone is caught breaking the existing rules we need to draw up a whole set of new rules. That is madness.

We dont need a whole welter of new regulations – we just need better policing of and compliance with the existing regulations. Those countries that break the rules should be named and shamed.

A questionnaire completed by attendees showed farmers and hauliers were unanimously opposed to more regulation and imposing a maximum 500km journey distance which would prevent some in the north of Scotland from taking livestock for slaughter in England. They also rejected the need for new rules around space and ventilation in trucks instead saying the European Commission should focus on making sure other countries comply with the current rules.