Results just released of a survey carried out by the independent polling company IFOP for Fondation Brigitte Bardot show that a clear majority of people in France want an end to these ‘traditions’.

Out of the 1,010 people who were surveyed in France in May 2018:

• 80% agree that torturing and killing an animal can no longer be considered entertainment.

• 74% are in favour of a ban on French bullfights which end in the bull being killed.

In Europe bullfighting is only carried out in Spain, Portugal and parts of south western France, and is regulated by each country with no direct EU legislation addressing it. Already in 2015, the European Parliament adopted a proposal to exclude breeders of fighting bulls from receiving EU subsidies and this was stated in the 2016 and 2017 budgets of the European Union, however, the Commission responded that under current CAP rules it was impossible to prevent EU subsidies from going to these breeders. 

Nevertheless, at end May 2018 the European Parliament has again voted in favour of a proposal by MEP Anja Hazekamp (GUE/NGL – Netherlands) for a ban on subsidies from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) being used for breeding fighting bulls. By adopting Hazekamp’s proposal, the European Parliament again calls on the Commission to make the necessary adjustments to the CAP to prevent subsidies from contributing to bullfighting. “It is now up to the Commission to amend the CAP rules to avoid EU subsidies from being used in bullfighting. CAP rules are expected to be drastically adapted in the coming years so this is the perfect time to take action to end bullfighting subsidies. “Bullfighting is a pure form of animal abuse that many people oppose. It is unacceptable that EU citizens are paying for such cruelties involuntarily,” Hazekamp said. The Commission’s legislative proposal for a revised CAP published on the 1 June 2018 sadly makes no reference to preventing subsidies being used for bullfighting activities.

For further information see:

Fondation Brigitte Bardot article

GUE/NGL article

European Parliament amendments to EU budget 2017:

Heading 2 – Sustainable growth: natural resources – #36:

“36.  Reiterates that CAP appropriations should not be used to support the breeding or rearing of bulls for lethal bullfighting activities; urges the Commission to submit without further delay the necessary legislative changes to give effect to this request, already stated in the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2016”