Animal transport rules to be tightened
This is despite strong protests by the €200 million Irish live export sector. EU Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner David Byrne revealed the news at a conference in Kinsale, Co Cork, yesterday.
He said Ireland would be sticking its head in the sand if it were to say that the status quo should remain.
That was not going to happen. There were going to be changes.
Mr Byrne said it would be much better if those who want to see minimum changes to identify these and assemble some kind of alliance or coalition in the European Parliament and Council of Ministers.
He also suggested they could lobby through the Irish MEPs and the Irish minister to come up with amendments to the draft legislation that he had put in place.
Mr Byrne said that he will be flexible in his response to any amendment that comes through from either the European Parliament or the Council of Ministers.
“There is a very big divide on this issue in Europe and there are people on both sides who feel very passionately about it.
“People in Ireland are only hearing one side of the debate because of the existence of the country’s live trade, which is hugely important.
“But in other EU countries, there is a completely different debate, often fuelled by films and videos of animals found dead and injured in lorries,” he said.
Mr Byrne, who was answering a question from the floor, said at least 50% of the EU member states and perhaps a majority of European citizens want to see a change in the system.
Before addressing the seminar, Green Business is Real Business, he met with a delegation from the IFA on the issue.
The seminar was organised by West Cork Leader Co-op in partnership with the Clean Technology Centre based at the Cork Institute of Technology and the AMT Ireland Centre based in the UCC Faculty of Food Science and Technology.
