12 July 2005 - EURO-MPs have backed a call for an end to subsidies of more than £50 million a year to exporters of live cattle from the EU to Africa and the Middle East.

More than 200,000 cattle are exported annually from the EU to Lebanon and Egypt, enduring journeys of up to ten days – and conditions already outlawed in the EU to prevent animal suffering.

Green MEP Caroline Lucas, who co-sponsored the motion, said: “Animal welfare is a core concern of the European Parliament and MEPs have worked hard to improve minimum welfare standards and reduce the suffering and cruelty inflicted by the international trade in livestock.”

The South-East England MEP and Vice-President of the RSPCA added: “It is absolutely outrageous that taxpayers’ money is being used to fund a cruel long-distance trade in animals that causes such suffering, and I am delighted that so many Euro-MPs have backed my call to bring the practice to a swift end.”

Dr Lucas, who is vice-president of the European Parliament’s cross-party animal welfare group, was one of the co-sponsors of a Written Declaration, the EU’s equivalent of an Early Day Motion at Westminster, which called not only for an immediate end to the subsidies – but for the money saved to be redirected to animal welfare and protection schemes.

Written Declarations need to attract the support of half the European parliament’s members within three months to become official parliamentary policy – a milestone that was reached yesterday with the 368th signature. Supporters of the Written Declaration., which was drafted with the help of UK-based Animal Welfare NGO Compassion in World Farming, came from across the EU’s 25 members and key political groups.

Dr Lucas added: “Farm animal welfare standards in the EU are far from perfect and this decision represents a small step along a very long road: Greens have demanded a complete end to all live animal exports, both within and beyond the EU."

ENDS