South East MEP backs EU wide ban on bullfighting

9.23.27am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 6th Mar 2007

Sharon Bowles Liberal Democrat MEP for the South East has joined the call for an EU wide ban on bull fighting. Sharon has received hundreds of letters raising concerns about the welfare of bulls involved in the 'sport' and has pledge her support by signing a written declaration in the European Parliament

Sharon said "Bullfighting may still be seen as entertainment by some people, but it is undeniably a source of animal suffering and runs completely contrary to the bold and ambitious steps laid out in the Commission's Animal Welfare Action Plan for 2006-2010. In the twenty-first century such a barbaric practice as bullfighting is no longer acceptable. Attitudes to bullfighting are changing even in Spain."

Sharon has called for changes to the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) so that EU farm subsidies cannot be given to farmers who breed bulls to be used in bullfighting. A major review of the CAP is due next year.

She went on to say "It is completely wrong that EU farm subsidies can be used to support this cruel 'sport'. Bull fighting is based on putting bulls under severe physical torture, resulting in over 40,000 bull deaths a year in Europe."

The League Against Cruel Sports is backing the European Parliament declaration. Bullfighting campaigner, Jordi Casamitjana said: "Bullrings rely heavily on subsidies from local governments just to survive. Hundreds of bulls are slaughtered in Spain, France and Portugal on a regular basis. They die a slow agonising death. This archaic and brutal blood sport needs to end now".

Mrs Bowles is encouraging fellow MEPs to sign the declaration too. "If the declaration receives majority support in the European Parliament, the European Commission is obliged to respond."

"Recent written declarations that have resulted in improvements in animal welfare include a European ban on the import of seal products and more recently on the import of cat and dog fur. I hope that bullfighting will also be consigned to history."

Ends

A copy of the written declaration can be found on:-

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//NONSGML+WDECL+P6-DCL-2007-0002+0+DOC+PDF+V0//EN&language=EN