The proposal was first made by the British Conservatives in 2017 and was presented as “the benefit of Brexit”.
This Tuesday, the British Parliament approved a ban on the export of live-farmed animals, a precedent-setting decision for the United Kingdom, which will remain separate from the European Union (EU), a practice that is still in place.
The Farm Animal Welfare Bill aims to stop the export of cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, wild boar and horses through England, Wales and Scotland for meat or fat.
Already approved by elected representatives of the House of Commons (the lower house of parliament), the text was approved by the House of Lords (the upper house) this Tuesday. Once it receives the formal ‘Royal Seal’ it is incorporated into the Act.
Emma Slawinski, head of the RSPCA, the British animal welfare organization which has campaigned for the ban for nearly 50 years, said it was an “extraordinary achievement”.
“In the 1990s, more than a million animals were exported from the UK (every year). It’s an abhorrent trade. Animal suffering is intense and long-lasting, with journeys costing days rather than hours. Fortunately, this will no longer happen”, he stressed.
The proposal was first made by the British Conservatives in 2017 and presented as a “benefit 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’s a great day. For decades, farmed animals supported these senseless exports to the continent – but no longer,” highlighted Philippe Limberi, Director General of CIWF (Compassion in World Agriculture).
During Tuesday’s vote, several members of the upper house lamented the law’s inapplicability in Northern Ireland, which sees some EU regulations continue to apply under post-Brexit rules, particularly on trade matters.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for the protection of farmed animals have called on the EU to also ban the export of live animals to third countries, but this option was recently rejected by the European Commission.
In its plan to revise the regulations by the end of 2023, which is still under negotiation, it wants tougher requirements on the condition of boats and the welfare of animals on board.
Elsewhere in the world, Australia has committed to ending live sheep exports by 2028.
New Zealand has also banned the export of livestock by sea from April 2023.
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