Animal welfare: Asks EU colleagues to say yes to anesthetics

Animal welfare: The Norwegian Minister of Agriculture and Food, Mr Lars Peder Brekk, keeps on working against the recommendations of the European parliament in the question of stunning before slaughter. Brekk wants the union to acknowledge the countries' supremacy in deciding over this matter. -We must not reverse the ongoing work for animal welfare, says Brekk in a letter to five ministers of agriculture.

- The Norwegian Parliament (The Storting) has this spring adopted the Act on animal welfare. It is stated in the Act that animals have an intrinsic value. It is important that we continue to improve the standards of animal welfare, says Brekk in the letter which the Minister has sent personally to his colleagues in France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Romania. Read The Norwegian Minister of Agriculture and Food mr Lars Peder Brekk's  letter on the Norwegian position regarding stunning dated 26th of may 2009 here Letter attached (pdf, 106 Kb)

Minister of Agriculture and Food, Mr Lars Peder Brekk. Photo: Torbjørn Tandberg

Earlier in May 2009, the European Union parliament recommended the Counsil of Ministers of agriculture in the 27 EU membership countries to adopt that each and all countries must allow slaughter of animals that are not pre-cut stunned, as long as the slaughter is conditioned by religion and the slaughter takes place in an approved slaughterhouse. This is the recommendation that mr Brekk is working against, hoping that the European Union will not turn this recommendation into a Regulation.

- It is important that we continue to improve the standards of animal welfare. We must make sure not to reverse this development by introducing obligatory regulations that are more lenient than existing national regulations, or discouraging national movement towards stricter welfare, the Norwegian minister emphasizes.