This Tuesday, the British Parliament approved a ban on the export of live farmed animals, a pioneering decision for the United Kingdom, different from the European Union (EU), where the practice is still in place.
This Farm Animal Welfare Bill should end the export of thousands of cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, wild boar and horses to or through England, Wales and Scotland for slaughter or fattening.
The text, already approved by the elected representatives of the House of Commons (the lower house of parliament), was approved this Tuesday by the House of Lords (the upper house). It will be enshrined in law once it receives the “royal seal” as a formality.
Emma Slawinski, leader of the British animal welfare organization RSPCA, which has campaigned for a ban for almost 50 years, called it an “extraordinary achievement”.
,In the 1990s, over one million animals were exported from Britain (each year)., This is a disgusting business. The animals’ suffering is intense and long-lasting, with journeys taking days rather than hours. Fortunately, this will no longer happen”, he stressed.
This proposal was first prepared by the British Conservatives in 2017 Presented as “the benefits of Brexit”European Union (EU) trade rules that prevent member states from banning the export of live animals to other countries in the union.
“It is a great day. For decades, farmed animals supported these absurd exports to the continent – but no longer,” highlights Philippe Limbery, Director General of the organization CIWF (Compassion in World Farming).
Many members of the Upper House during voting on Tuesday Sorry this law does not apply in Northern IrelandWhich, under post-Brexit rules, continues to enforce some EU rules, particularly on trade matters.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for the protection of farmed animals call on the EU to ban the export of live animals to third countries. But this option was recently rejected by the European Commission,
In its proposal to review the rules at the end of 2023, still under negotiation, it prioritized stricter requirements on the conditions of boats and the good treatment of animals on board.
Elsewhere in the world, Australia has committed to ending the export of live sheep by 2028.
New Zealand has also banned the export of live cattle by sea from April 2023.
