The European Commission must immediately halt the export of live animals to countries outside the EU. This is the call of Dutch Member of the European Parliament Anja Hazekamp (Party for the Animals). On Monday in Strasbourg, Hazekamp requested an urgent debate on the unacceptable conditions during animal transports.
The Party for the Animals requested the debate after a cargo ship carrying animals capsized near the Romanian port of Midia on Sunday, causing 14,600 sheep to fall into the water. Animal welfare organizations and Romanian media reported that only a few dozen sheep were rescued alive from the water. They also reported that the capsized ship may have been overloaded.
Hazekamp received support for her request from the liberal Renew faction, but to prepare properly, that faction wanted to postpone the debate to the plenary session in December. The proposer agreed to this.
Hazekamp emphasizes that the capsizing of the ship is not an 'incident.' “Old, foreign cargo ships are increasingly docking in the EU’s outer ports to transport millions of animals to Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East. These transports can last for weeks, during which EU animal welfare rules are completely ignored. Europe must put an end to this now,” stated Hazekamp.
Last summer, Hazekamp herself visited the port of Midia. Even then, serious abuses were observed during a transport of seventy thousand sheep to the Persian Gulf. Sheep were mistreated and transported at temperatures up to 46 degrees Celsius, in violation of European rules on animal transports. At the request of the Party for the Animals, the European Commission is currently investigating whether infringement proceedings can be initiated against Romania.