Illegal slaughtering, short-circuiting leghistas

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Leghist MEP Gianna Gancia, with French colleagues from the ID(Identity and Democracy) political group, questions the European Commission on illegal slaughter.

However, the government where the League also participates-with a minister of Economic Development and a deputy minister of Agriculture, among others-has legitimized these same practices.

The European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, in turn, seems to be oblivious to the atrocities endorsed by the Italian government in Legislative Decree. 27/2021. Short circuit.

Clandestine slaughtering, parliamentary questioning

Five French MEPs (Annika Bruna, Jean-Paul Garraud, Virginie Joron, Aurélia Beigneux, Jean-Lin Lacapelle), one German MEP (Sylvia Limmer), one Belgian MEP (Gerolf Annemans) and one Italian MEP (Gianna Gancia), on 29.7.21, submitted a question with a request for a written answer to the European Commission. Subject, Fighting the proliferation of clandestine ritual slaughter.

On the occasion of the Aïd-el-Kébir, multiple clandestine ritual slaughterings of sheep took place in France and elsewhere.

On the one hand, such practices violate slaughter regulations and result in hygiene and public health risks, unfair competition due to illegal labor, and unacceptable animal suffering.

On the other hand, if such barbaric practices become widespread among private individuals, we also witness the development of organized clandestine breeding, as well as the importation and clandestine ritual slaughter of hundreds of animals that generate an important parallel economy.’ (1)

Political instances

The MEPs – recalling some press articles where it attests to the concreteness of the reported phenomenon (2) – therefore requested the Commission to report:

1. whether it has information on the trend of this phenomenon in the various member states,

2. whether it intends to condemn such clandestine slaughtering and promote the combating of such practices,

3. whether it plans new measures to combat fraud against traceability of farm animals.’

European Commission, headlights off

The European Commission, in the voice of Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, seems to have fallen from the clouds. The Brussels center would not hear ‘of specific instances of noncompliance, such as those described in the question.’

Slaughter of sheep, except for emergency slaughter subject to strict conditions, may be carried out only in slaughterhouses approved in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004 laying down specific rules for food of animal origin (…)’. (3)

Public veterinary controls in the EU

The rhetoric from Brussels is always the same. Instead of verifying the reported events and elaborating on the arguments, the existence of the existing rules and the primary responsibility on official controls in the hands of member state authorities are recalled. And the Commission-which is supposedly ‘tasked with coordinating and verifying the effective implementation of such measures at the EU level‘-actually backs down.

Traceability of animals intended to be part of the food chain and the products derived from them, for example, has theoretically been applied in the European Union since 1.1.05. (4) Official inspections carried out in France in 2018 established false data in 40 percent of the establishments inspected, mainly due to food fraud. But there is no record of the European Commission intervening on France. (5)

Clandestine slaughter, the Italic horror

Illegal slaughteringfor private domestic use,’ we would like to point out to the leghist MEP and the EU commissioner, has been legalized in Italy by the current government itself. As the writer reported at the time, without, of course, being picked up by the (generalist and trade) press, outside of some official veterinarians who were themselves concerned. (6)

Legislative Decree. 27/21 has even extended to cattle-as well as sheep-the torment outside licensed slaughterhouses. With no guarantees on traceability, food safety, and preventive stunning of animals. (7) In repeal of a ban that dated back to 1928. And the legalization so dear to Coldiretti festivals also applies to Aïd-el-Kébir.

Shame!

Dario Dongo

Notes

(1) Question 28.7.21 with request for written answer E-003809/2021. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-9-2021-003809_IT.html

(2) MEPs recalled reports in the international press on:

– https://www.valeursactuelles.com/regions/ile-de-france/seine-et-marne/no_agglomeration/societe/aid-el-kebir-les-autorites-ont-empeche-labattage-clandestin-de-650-mouton

https://premium.courrier-picard.fr/id215436/article/2021-07-22/abattoir-clandestin-dans-loise-pendant-laid-voulu-rendre-service-et-nous-tombe

https://www.leparisien.fr/seine-et-marne-77/montereau-fault-yonne-77130/fete-de-laid-650-moutons-destines-a-la-vente-clandestine-saisis-par-les-services-veterinaires-22-07-2021-TR52BNQ6ZRAVZOALCM2FNOYXUQ.php

https://www.leprogres.fr/faits-divers-justice/2021/07/24/un-abattage-clandestin-de-moutons-demantel

(3) Answer 19.10.21 by Commissioner Stella Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission (E-003809/2021). https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-9-2021-003809-ASW_IT.html

(4) Reg. EC 178/02, Article 18. For more details see theebookFood Safety, Mandatory Rules and Voluntary Standards ‘ https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/libri/sicurezza-alimentare-regole-cogenti-e-norme-volontarie-il-nuovo-libro-di-dario-dongo

(5) Dario Dongo. Traceability and origin of meat, widespread fraud in France. GIFT(Great Italian Food Trade). 9/14/20, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/sicurezza/tracciabilità-e-origine-delle-carni-frodi-diffuse-in-francia

(6) Dario Dongo. Illegal slaughter, the outlawed rule. #CleanSpades. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 6.6.21, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/sicurezza/macellazione-clandestina-la-norma-fuorilegge-vanghepulite/

(7) Dario Dongo. Ritual slaughter, EU Court of Justice green light for reversible stunning requirement. GIFT(Great Italian Food Trade). 12/27/20, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/mercati/macellazione-rituale-via-libera-della-corte-di-giustizia-ue-all-obbligo-di-stordimento-reversibile

Dario Dongo
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Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.