20^TH DECEMBER 2005

PRESS RELEASE FROM COMPASSION IN WORLD FARMING - IRELAND

Compassion in World Farming - Ireland (CIWF-Ireland) welcomes the announcement today by European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Mariann Fischer Boel that she intends to immediately eliminate refunds for all EU exports of live cattle. 

CIWF-Ireland views this as clear indication that the Commission accepts that the welfare of cattle taken to countries outside the EU cannot be protected.  CIWF-Ireland has made many complaints about the brutal treatment of Irish and EU cattle in the Lebanon over the years. 

Mary-Anne Bartlett, Director of CIWF-Ireland says:

“This decision by Commissioner Boel is very welcome.  It is a disgrace that for many years now, EU taxpayers have been forced to provide money to aid a trade that subjects cattle from Ireland and other EU countries to cruel treatment in the Middle East. 

The final decision on Commissioner Boel’s proposal will be made on Friday 23^rd December at a meeting of the Beef Management Committee.  Compassion in World Farming urges the Irish representative on that Committee to support Commissioner Boel’s proposal to scrap export refunds for live cattle.”

Background:

On several occasions, CIWF has produced video footage showing EU and Irish cattle being subjected to brutal handling and cruel slaughter in the Lebanon.  The most recent video exposé was an undercover investigation of cattle going from Waterford to the Lebanon, filmed in 2004.  This showed that after EU cattle were unloaded in Beirut, they were transported in overcrowded sub-standard trucks before being subjected to appalling slaughter conditions.  Heavy cattle were hung by one back leg on a slaughterline and had their throats cut whilst fully conscious.

Statistics:

In 2004, 11,690 live cattle were exported from Ireland to the Lebanon.  To date in 2005, 9,874 live cattle were exported from Ireland to the Lebanon.  The export refund is paid according to the weight of each animal and at present amounts to about 165 Euro per head of cattle.

For further information

Please contact Mary-Anne Bartlett at 021 4272441