Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2017-03-13-Speech-1-200-000"
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"en.20170313.17.1-200-000"2
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"Mr President, throughout European history the bond between equidae and humankind has occupied a very unique position within our societies. As many of you know, equidae have and still do play a vital role in many EU Member States. Sometimes this is out of necessity, as forms of transportation and agricultural assistance, but other newer roles have also emerged such as in research, therapy and rehabilitation. For example, in Bristol, in my constituency in the UK, Spiritus Equis offers equine-assisted therapy to help young people with substance misuse and offending behaviour. Equidae – horses in particular – are also prominent in the betting and sporting world, and for many owners, myself included, equidae are kept for leisure and more recreational purposes.
Through such versatility, equidae have come to possess vast economic potential. Today the equine sector adds over EUR 100 billion to the EU’s economy each year and is a leading rural employer in many EU Member States. However, despite the varied roles, close relationship and at times dependency we share with these animals, in too many cases equidae are faced with a number of severe welfare concerns that serve to adversely impact the entire sector. Such concerns include neglect, overwork and inappropriate living conditions. These problems can be found across the breadth of the equid sector and occur due to a multitude of reasons: ignorance, lack of education, over-breeding and economic hardship.
Europe’s citizens want to see more action on animal welfare. With this report I believe that we have a golden opportunity to not only substantially improve the lives of the seven million equidae currently living within the EU, but also by better caring for these animals we have a chance to unlock the full economic potential of this sector and provide a much-needed boost to the rural economy. It is a win-win for all involved.
I would like to emphasise at this point that this report does not intend to call for additional legislation but rather to improve existing provisions, particularly their enforcement. In fact, equidae are broadly covered by a number of legislative acts pertaining to their health and welfare, and whilst better implementation and enforcement of existing law would help remedy some of these problems, it is not clear within the scope of the existing treaties where added European legislation could, or should, add value. Rather, I firmly believe – and this is a belief that fundamentally shapes the nature of this report – that value can be added by tackling ignorance and by encouraging and facilitating the spread of best practice and good guidance. This will provide both commercial and recreational equidae owners with the tools and knowledge to better meet the needs of their animals. For example, knowledge transfer schemes as we see in Ireland are one tool Member States could utilise to share best practices, as well as business models and to foster innovation and new ideas. This is especially important in light of the added emphasis on the need – and, in fact, urgency – to become more environmentally-friendly, a development that the equid sector is not immune to. Such schemes could therefore safeguard the welfare needs of equidae while, at the same time, ensure businesses are viable and are able to adapt to changes in regulation elsewhere.
The development of animal welfare indicators will provide the guidance needed to make compliance and consistent enforcement more achievable. An increased number of educational resources will tackle ignorance and thereby correct the current lack of understanding surrounding the care and ownership of equidae. The establishment of animal welfare reference centres will provide a much-needed avenue for the dissemination of guidance. A recommitment from the Commission to the development of a European charter for sustainable and responsible tourism would also be hugely beneficial. Tourists would be empowered to make choices, which will not only reward those enterprises which properly care for their equidae but will also inform and provide peace of mind.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the shadow for all their support and constructive contributions and to thank Eurogroup for Animals who have been a valuable source of information throughout the process."@en1
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