Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-05-21-Speech-3-491"
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"en.20080521.31.3-491"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, I should like to thank all those who have taken the floor for their comments and for welcoming this report. I now wish to refer to two particular issues.
The first of these was raised in most of the speeches made. It concerns requiring those exporting animal products to the European market to comply with the same standards and introduce the same requirements as are imposed on European producers. This stands to reason. As many as nine of the 80 paragraphs in the report are devoted to this matter. It certainly represents a major challenge and every possible effort should be brought to bear upon it. Today’s debate makes that quite clear. The Union should give priority to resolving the matter within the framework of the WTO. I support everything said in the House today. We cannot condone double standards. That is simply unacceptable.
The second issue I wish to refer to was also raised in some of the speeches made. It relates to transport and is particularly relevant as we are due to vote on Mrs De Lange’s amendment tomorrow. I should like to say that, as rapporteur, I fully support Mrs De Lange’s amendment which proposes limiting the transport of live animals to abattoirs for slaughter to nine hours. This issue has long been the subject of debate in the House. I support the limit for humanitarian reasons. There are many dramatic reports of what goes on during transport of this nature. There are also financial considerations to take into account. After all, someone has to pay for those long journeys. If animals are being transported over long distances, from Poland to Italy or from Lithuania to Italy, for example, of course the consumer pays. The farmer usually pays too, because for it to be profitable to transport the animals so far, they have to be bought cheaply from the farmer. Farmers should not therefore fear this limit, because it will oblige the processing industry to locate itself nearer the places where the animals have been reared. I believe it would be in their interest to do so. We are debating the increase in food prices. These very expensive journeys are one of the factors contributing to the rise in food prices. All this merits very careful consideration.
Mr President, Commissioner, I should again like to offer my sincere thanks to you and to all those who took the floor during the debate on this report."@en1
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