World´s largest postcard to be delivered to agriculture Ministers in Brussels on Monday

WORLD'S LARGEST POSTCARD TO BE DELIVERED TO AGRICULTURE MINISTERS IN BRUSSELS ON MONDAY Demands to reduce animal transport to improve animal welfare and avoid the risk of spreading infectious diseases On Monday May 27th a giant postcard will be presented to the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers to call on them to end the long distance transport of animals. This is a trade which imposes suffering to over 2 million animals each year within the EU. Photographs accompanying this event will be available on Press Association's PicSelect www.papicselect.com site under charities/compassion_in_world_farming/live_transport The postcard consists of a montage of photographs of citizens from across Europe who want to see an end to this cruel trade. It will be received by the Agriculture Ministers from Germany (Renate Kunast), the UK (Margaret Beckett), Sweden (Margareta Winberg) and The Netherlands (Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst) at 14:00 outside the Council Building (Justius Lipsius, Rue de la Loi 175) in Brussels. This, the world's largest ever postcard, also represents the hundreds of thousands of postcards individually sent to agricultural ministers around Europe calling for an end to this cruel trade. The postcard will be presented by representatives from Compassion in World Farming and 23 other animal welfare groups from across the EU in a spectacular demonstration of European unity. Together these groups work under the banner of the European Coalition for Farm Animals (ECFA). ECFA wants the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers to respond to recent European recommendations by introducing new animal transportation legislation. Specifically, in November 2001 the European Parliament resolved that a maximum overall limit of 8 hours or 500 km should be placed on journeys to slaughter or for further fattening. Furthermore, in March 2002, the Commission's Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare (SCAHAW) concluded that "...disease spread may occur over great distances because of transport...animals should not be transported if this can be avoided and journeys should be as short as possible..." The Parliament's resolution and the SCAHAW report are part of a review process which should lead to new EU animal transport laws later this year. Peter Stevenson, CIWF Political and Legal Director, said "CIWF is calling on the Agriculture Council to take notice of the European Parliament resolution and to introduce fundamental reforms under which the long distance transport of live farm animals is abandoned and replaced by a trade in meat". NOTE TO EDITORS A short briefing document discussing the issues surrounding animal transportation is available from the CIWF press office. Each year over 2 million cattle, horses, pigs and sheep are transported huge distances on journeys of 30-60 hours or, in some cases even 90 hours. The animals suffer terribly during these long journeys. They become exhausted, dehydrated and stressed. Some get injured, while others collapse on to the floor of the truck where they are trampled by their companions. In the worst cases many die. CIWF believe that animals destined for slaughter should be sent to an abattoir near to the farm of rearing, instead of trucking them huge distances in inhumane conditions. The meat can then be transported to wherever it is wanted. - ENDS - ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/05/24/20020524BIT01080/wkr0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/05/24/20020524BIT01080/wkr0002.pdf