Tory animal rights campaigner will lead Europe's animal protection agenda
Posted, January 18, 2007 @ 16:00
Conservatives are recognised as successful protectors of animal welfare after achieving bans on wild bird imports, Chinese bear bile medicinal use and the use of cat and dog fur
Strasbourg, 18th January 2007 -- A Conservative Euro-MP has been elected to lead the European Parliament’s efforts to improve animal welfare both in Europe and across the world. Neil Parish MEP, has already been heavily involved in a number of campaigns to highlight some of the most cruel practices around the world.
The all-party ‘Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals’ was created in 1983 in the European Parliament to discuss European and international animal welfare and conservation issues and, where appropriate, take initiatives which can lead to legislation.
Conservative MEPs have led a number of successful campaigns including the call for a ban on wild bird imports, which was proposed last week; an EU ban in the import of Chinese cat and dog fur, on which legislation was proposed late last year and an end to export refunds on live animal exports to the Middle East, which were also phased out last year. Mr Parish has also been pushing for stricter controls to prevent shark finning, and an end to the inhumane use of bear bile in Chinese medicinal products.
After his election, Mr Parish said:
"Animal welfare is the issue raised most frequently in my mailbag. Many people across the UK are involved in campaigns to improve the welfare of animals, or raise funds for animal welfare charities and I hope to be able to help as many of them as possible.
"The improvement of animal welfare is one area where the European Parliament can report a number of successes in recent months and I hope we can exert more pressure where it’s needed to ensure some other examples of brutality against animals can be ended.
"The Intergroup is a powerful tool with which to fight the corner for animals and I am immensely proud to have been elected as its president"