Richard Howitt Labour MEP Shows Support Of World Horse Welfare Ahead Of Next Week’s Vote To End The Biggest Abuse Of Horses In Europe

Richard Howitt and transportation message MEP Richard Howitt Labour MEP for East of England visited World Horse Welfare today, 7 December, to demonstrate his support of World Horse Welfare ahead of a crucial vote in the European Parliament on the laws governing live transport of horses to slaughter. Howitt is a vice-president at RSPCA and takes a keen interest in animal welfare. Each year 65,000 horses suffer immensely during long-distance transportation across Europe to slaughter. Next week the European Parliament will vote on whether or not they will adopt a report calling for much-needed changes to the inadequate Transport Regulation. World Horse Welfare is urging MEPs to adopt the report, and has asked members of the public across Europe to email their MEPs to do the same. So far, more than 8,000 emails have been sent to MEPs by horse lovers eager to see these needless journeys end. World Horse Welfare are asking for a journey time of no longer than 9-12 hours for horses being transported to slaughter or for further fattening. This is in light of scientific evidence collected by the charity and the recommendations of the EC’s own scientific advisors the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The evidence shows horses suffer on long distance journeys to slaughter and for other journeys for fattening and sale, and recommends the introduction of a short, maximum journey limit. Richard Howitt MEP says of this campaign, “I am fully in support of World Horse Welfare’s work on the transportation campaign and I am visiting this Friday to demonstrate my interest and support of the proposed changes to the Transport Regulation. “On Monday the issue of animal transport rules arrives back in the European Parliament and I’m voting, with the support of World Horse Welfare and the many of my constituents who have emailed and written in, for an end to this ill-treatment. I congratulate World Horse Welfare for its unstinting campaign, and for its terrific work for the welfare of horses here in the UK, and across Europe.” Hannah Lynch, Campaigns Officer for World Horse Welfare said: “The European Parliament has supported our calls for changes to the Transport Regulation for many years. We are grateful for this support, and for the hard work of many supporters. The vote next week is another opportunity for the European Parliament to underline its commitment to changing this inadequate Regulation, and to put more pressure onto the European Commission to revise the Regulation.”

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