One of his paintings, depicting a bay horse in a statuesque and imperious pose, is up for auction and all the proceeds will be given to IHP, an Italian association committed to reporting abuses against equines, to spreading information about their ethological characteristics, and to promoting new legislation to protect them. IHP manages the first and only sanctuary in Italy for equines which have been mistreated or confiscated by the courts under Law 189 of 2004.

Baio by Carlo Romiti - auctioned for the benefit of IHP

For a few days only, Carlo Romiti’s painting is now up for auction on eBay. Enquiries can be addressed to ihp@horseprotection.it

“We would like to thank Carlo Romiti for his significant support for our cause” – said Antonio Nardi-Dei, IHP’s president – “not least because he is an artist who likes to portray free horses in his work, and uses age-old painting techniques, exclusively using earth pigments from our own region, which he himself finds walking in the woods around Volterra, San Gimignano and Montaione. Thus his paintings perfectly match our association’s commitment to fighting abuses of these animals and all the various forms of exploitation that humans inflict upon them”.

Cover of the new publication on live animal transport

I was glad to participate in the production of this new resource, 8 hours is more than enough!, which aims to convince the European institutions to take effective action to end the plague of long-distance live animal transport.
At the end of 2011, the European Commission released a report saying that the 2005 Regulation governing live transport simply needs to be enforced in order to put a stop to the enormous suffering still experienced by tens of millions of animals. 8 hours is more than enough! explains why a reliance on proper enforcement of the existing rules is unlikely ever to be effective, because some of the rules have been in existence for over 20 years and have never been properly enforced.
The 8 hours is more than enough! publication was produced as part of the 8hours campaign, which is already supported by nearly 1,100,000 citizens who have signed the online petition and by the majority of Members of the European Parliament, who signed Written Declaration 49/2011, adopted by the European Parliament on 15 March 2012.
8 hours is more than enough! can be read or downloaded for free on the 8hours website.

Cover of the Italian zoo report

ENDCAP, a pan-European coalition of animal welfare NGOs and wildlife professionals from countries throughout Europe, whose members specialise in the welfare and protection of wild animals in captivity.

It is an independent study evaluating the implementation and enforcement of the EC Directive 1999/22, relating to the keeping of wild animals in zoos.

The report on zoos in Italy is available online in Italian and you can read it on the Born Free Foundation website.

Summary and recommendations only are available in English.
Other country reports are available on the Zooenquiry website.

STOP Long Animal Transports (Photo: Bert Kottmair)

The document, which “calls on the Commission and the Council to review Regulation 1/2005 to establish a maximum 8-hour limit for the journeys of animals transported for the purpose of being slaughtered“, will now be transmitted to the European Commission and the governments of the Member States. It was promoted by five MEPs: Dan Jørgensen (S&D, Denmark), Esther de Lange (EPP, Netherlands), Pavel Poc (S&D, Czech Republic), Carl Schlyter (Greens, Sweden) and Andrea Zanoni (ALDE, Italy).

This document directly refers to over one million signatures registered on the www.8hours.eu website. This massive mobilisation of European citizens is calling for an end to long-distance journeys for animals sent for slaughter in the European Union.
The long duration of the journeys of animals destined for slaughter in the EU often causes them intense suffering, as has been consistently reported over the years by Animals’ Angels investigators. Current EU legislation makes it possible for animals to be transported for several days, even though it is scientifically proven and acknowledged by the Commission that the suffering of the animals increases with the duration of the journey.
“This is a historic moment for all those who care about animals. The call of one million citizens cannot be easily ignored by the EU institutions” – said Christa Blanke, Founder of Animals’ Angels. “But this is just a fundamental milestone in a campaign that will end only when long-distance journeys of animals sent for slaughter are banned in the EU. We have been documenting the suffering caused by animal transports around Europe over many years, and we have seen that all improvements of transport rules are insufficient if long-distance journeys continue to be allowed”.

“In reality what goes on today on the European roads is animal cruelty. This has to be stopped. The European Commission has so far disregarded the demand for new rules for animal transports. But it will be difficult for the Commission to ignore the demands of the European Parliament, which joins over one million citizens asking for long-distance live transports to stop” – said Danish MEP Dan Jørgensen, and adds: “I have made the signal to the responsible commissioner for animal welfare, John Dalli, many times, that the rules for animal transports need to be changed. Unfortunately he does not see the need to respond properly to this call. But he is wrong, and he should act now. If not he will have to explain to the European parliament and to EU citizens why he insists on letting this cruelty go on”.
“We live in the 21st century in a society which we became used to calling a humane society. It is time to prove it” – said Czech MEP Pavel Poc, one of the promoters of Written Declaration 49/2011. “I am glad that the European Parliament took on the challenge by adopting this written declaration. An adopted declaration might still be far away from real actions and needed changes, but it is a significant message and I hope that all these initiatives will together create a strong enough pressure for the much needed policy change.”
Written Declaration 49/2011 and the collection of one million signatures from EU citizens are part of a larger campaign (www.8hours.eu) calling for a maximum overall 8-hour limit for journeys of animals sent for slaughter. The campaign is also supported by 126 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from 19 member states and all political groups.

See a recent video of animals being transported from the EU to Turkey on YouTube.

See the text of Written Declaration 49/2011 on the European Parliament’s website

Animal Welfare: Commission urges 13 Member States to implement ban on laying hen cages

Brussels, 26 January 2012 – Today, the European Commission, via a letter of formal notice requesting for information, called on Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Romania to take action to address deficiencies in the implementation of EU legislation concerning the welfare of animals, and specifically to implement the ban on “un-enriched” cages for laying hens which applied as of 1st January 2012, as laid down by Directive 1999/74/EC.

The political decision for the ban on “un-enriched” cages was taken in 1999.

Member States have had twelve years to ensure a smooth transition to the new system and to implement the Directive. However, so far, and notwithstanding the repeated calls by the Commission, the above mentioned Member States have failed to adequately comply with the EU law.

As from 1 January 2012, Directive 1999/74/EC requires that all laying hens must be kept in “enriched cages” with extra space to nest, scratch and roost, or in alternative systems. According to the Directive, cages can be used only if they provide each hen with at least 750 cm² of cage area, a nest-box, litter, perches and clawshortening devices, allowing the hens to satisfy their biological and behavioral needs.

Full compliance with the requirements of the Directive by Member States is essential. It is clear that Member States who don’t fulfil their legal obligations not only create consequences on animal welfare but can also cause market distortions and unfair competition. Member States who still allow the use of “un-enriched” cages put businesses that invested in complying with the new measures at a disadvantage.

Thus, following today’s action taken by the Commission, the concerned Member States have two months to respond to the letter of formal notice under EU infringement procedures. If they fail to react satisfactorily the Commission will send a “Reasoned Opinion” requesting concerned Member States to take the necessary measures to comply with the Directive within two months.

For more information on the Animal Welfare on the Farm – Laying Hens, please visit: http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/welfare/farm/laying_hens_en.htm MEMO/11/1216

For more information on the infringement procedure: MEMO/12/42

Contacts :

Frédéric Vincent (+32 2 298 71 66 )

Aikaterini Apostola (+32 2 298 76 24)

Animal Welfare: Commission urges 13 Member States to implement ban on laying hen cages

8hours website

This is one of the largest animal welfare campaigns ever conducted in Europe. It was launched by Animals’ Angels – an international organisation which has documented hundreds of cases of severe suffering endured by transported animals – together with Danish MEP Dan Jørgensen.

The long duration of the journeys of animals destined for slaughter in the EU often causes them intense suffering, as has been consistently reported over the years by Animals’ Angels investigators.

Current EU legislation makes it possible for animals to be transported for several days, even though it is scientifically proven and acknowledged by the Commission that the suffering of the animals increases with the duration of the journey.
The main piece of European legislation currently regulating live animal transport is EC Regulation 1/2005.

This allows horses, other equines and pigs to be transported for 24 hours, then have a 24-hour rest period and then start again; cattle, sheep and goats can be transported for 14 hours, then a 1-hour rest, then transported for a further 14 hours, then a 24-hour rest and then start again; unweaned calves, lambs, foals and piglets can be transported for 9 hours, then a 1-hour rest, then transported for 9 hours, then a 24-hour rest and then start again.

These cycles can be repeated indefinitely.

The European Parliament demanded a limitation of transport time back in 2001: “The duration of transportation should be limited to a maximum of 8 hours or a distance of 500 km in the case of cattle, horses, sheep and pigs that are not intended for special breeding or sporting purposes.” (Resolution of the European Parliament, adopted on 13 January 2001 in Strasbourg).

“This is a historic moment for all those who care about animals. The call of one million citizens cannot be easily ignored by the EU institutions” – said Christa Blanke, founder and Director of Animals’ Angels. “But this is just a fundamental milestone in a campaign that will end only when long-distance journeys of animals sent for slaughter are banned in the EU.

We have been documenting the suffering caused by animal transports around Europe over many years, and we have seen that all improvements of transport rules are insufficient if long-distance journeys continue to be allowed”.

“In reality what goes on today on the European roads is animal cruelty.

This has to be stopped. The European Commission has so far disregarded the demand for new rules for animal transports. But it will be difficult for the Commission to ignore one million citizens” – said Danish MEP Dan Jørgensen, and adds: “I have made the signal to the responsible commissioner for animal welfare, John Dalli, many times, that the rules for animal transports need to be changed.

Unfortunately he does not see the need to respond properly to this call. But he is wrong, and he should act now. If not he will have to explain to the EU citizens why he insists on letting this cruelty go on”.

The collection of one million signatures from EU citizens is part of a larger campaign calling for a maximum overall 8-hour limit for journeys of animals sent for slaughter. The campaign is also supported by 109 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from 19 member states and all political groups. Furthermore, 119 MEPs have so far signed Written Declaration 49/2011 , tabled in the European Parliament at the end of November, which calls for an 8-hour limit for live animal transports. The Written Declaration will become an official position of the Parliament if it is signed by the majority of Members of the EU Parliament by March 15th 2012.

You can see a recent video of animals being transported from the EU to Turkey here