Document type : article published in RTBF Actus
Author: AFP
Preview: The British Parliament voted on Tuesday to ban the export of live farm animals, a pioneering move from the UK that sets it apart from the European Union, where the practice is still legally permitted. The Livestock Welfare Bill is intended to put an end to the export of thousands of cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, wild boar and horses for slaughter or fattening from or via England, Wales and Scotland. Already approved by elected representatives in the House of Commons, the text was adopted by the House of Lords on Tuesday. It will be enshrined in law once it has received the Royal Seal, a formality. The proposal was first formulated in 2017 by the British Conservatives and presented as a "Brexit benefit", as EU trade rules prevent Member States from banning live animal exports to other EU countries. During the vote on Tuesday, several members of the House of Lords expressed their regret that the law would not apply in Northern Ireland where, under post-Brexit rules, certain EU regulations still apply, particularly in trade matters. Farm animal welfare NGOs have been urging the EU to also ban the export of live animals to third countries, but this option was recently ruled out by the Commission. In its regulatory revision proposals published at the end of 2023 and still under negotiation, the Commission chose instead to tighten requirements on the living conditions on board vessels and the welfare treatment of animals on board.
Link to the text of the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act, 2024
