New investigation reveals the systematic disguise of routes for live transport of German calves to the Middle East

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New investigation reveals the systematic disguise of routes for live transport of German calves to the Middle East

28 October 2020
Animals International
News
An investigation carried out by Animals International and Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF) and broadcasted by SWR reveals that despite the current ban in place, German animals end up in Third Countries’ abattoirs. Eurogroup for Animals urges the EU to stop the export of animals to non-EU countries and to prepare a strategy to shift to meat/ carcasses only trade.

New footage from Eurogroup for Animals’ member Animals International filmed the brutal slaughter of German cattle in a Lebanese slaughterhouse. The two cattles identified in the footage were just three weeks old when they left their farms of origin in Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg.

The export of cattle to third countries has been largely debated in Germany for many years and the majority of federal countries suspended the long-distance transport to a number of nineteen third countries. However, the transport of live animals from Germany to third countries continue taking place: Indeed, to overcome the restrictions mentioned above the transport routes are very often disguised: the new footage by AWF shows calves being transported on short journeys from Germany to Belgium via a collection point in North Rhine-Westphalia, and then transported via France to Spain, where they were fattened and later shipped to Beirut.

This new investigation also shows that, despite the fact Germany claims of not exporting animals for slaughter to third countries, its animals do end up in third countries abattoirs. In 2019 Animal International entered a slaughterhouse in Lebanon, showing how animals coming from the EU were brutally handled and killed.

Eurogroup for Animals and its members urge the EU to stop the export of animals to non-EU countries, and to prepare a strategy to shift to a meat and carcasses and genetic material only trade.