WRITTEN QUESTION P-2463/00 by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Live cattle exports to Egypt.
Date: 2000-07-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Egypt, European social policy, Germany, animal welfare, cattle, export licence, sheep, transport of animals

3.4.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 103 E/161

(2001/C 103 E/182)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2463/00

by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(11 July 2000)

Subject: Live cattle exports to Egypt

Recent reports have revealed that live bulls being exported from Germany to Egypt have been routinely
castrated whilst on board the ship.

The iniquitous export refund system which permits this trade in live cattle to take place already ensures
that animals suffer greatly from the long distances travelled and the inadequate conditions. Would the
Commission agree that for adult bulls to be castrated in very primitive conditions is one suffering too
many and that the whole live animal trade to Egypt must be suspended until guarantees are received that
castration will not be allowed?

(2001/C 103 E/183)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2481/00

by Hiltrud Breyer (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(24 July 2000)

Subject: Animals for slaughter (cid:129) castration during transport by sea

Animal protection organisations have ascertained that male animals for slaughter (cattle and sheep) are
being castrated at sea while being transported from EU ports to ports in Egypt. The castration of male
animals for slaughter during transport by sea breaches Article 3(1)(b) in conjunction with Article 5(A)(1)(b)
and, possibly, the second sentence of Article 3(2) of Directive 91/628/EEC (1), as amended by Directive 95/
29/EC (2).

This legislation prescribes the avoidance of unnecessary suffering for animals to be transported. The
castration of healthy male animals for slaughter during transport by sea, by persons untrained in veterinary
medicine, causes the animals concerned unnecessary suffering.

Castration during transport by sea is not covered even if special authorisation for transport has been
issued, pursuant to the first sentence of Article 3(2) of Directive 91/628/EEC as amended by Directive 95/
29/EC, under Article 3(1)(c) of that Directive.

The justification for this practice, namely that it protects the country of destination against brucellosis, is
unconvincing. The animals concerned could be castrated in their country of origin well before the start of
transport and by persons trained in veterinary medicine.

Does the Commission have information or indications that male animals for slaughter (cattle and

1.
sheep) are being castrated at sea while being transported from EU ports to ports in Egypt?

2. What steps has the Commission taken or does it intend to take to stop such incidents or to prevent
them happening in future?

From which EU Member States and in what numbers (separate figures for cattle and sheep) were

3.
male animals for slaughter exported to Egypt in 1999?

From which ports in EU territory were male animals for slaughter transported to Egypt in 1999 and

4.
which types of animal were transported by sea to Egyptian ports from each of the ports concerned?

(1) OJ L 340, 11.12.1991, p. 17.
(2) OJ L 148, 30.6.1995, p. 52.