EC May Penalize Bulgaria over Backyard Cattle Slaughter

Bulgaria in EU | February 5, 2013, Tuesday| 1644 views

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Bulgaria: EC May Penalize Bulgaria over Backyard Cattle Slaughter

Bulgaria's Ministry of Agriculture and Food is preparing an action plan to solve the problem with backyard slaughter of cattle for personal consumption by end-March to avoid EU penalty. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's Ministry of Agriculture and Food is preparing an action plan to solve the problem with backyard slaughter of cattle for personal consumption by end-March to avoid EU penalty.

Speaking Tuesday during a discussion on Food Act amendments with branch organizations, Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov explained that Bulgaria would be fined by the European Commission unless it took steps to solve the problem.

The amendments, as cited by the BGNES news agency, envisage a ban on backyard slaughter of cows and calves for personal consumption, stipulating that livestock slaughter should only take place at municipal slaughterhouses, licensed private sites, or mobile slaughterhouses.

The ban will not apply to pigs, sheep, lambs, goats, kids, and hens.

"The tradition of backyard cattle slaughter involves risks which must be eliminated by a veterinarian in order to avoid diseases like mad cow disease, for instance" Naydenov stated.

He made clear that the ban on backyard slaughter of cattle was in lined with requirements of the Health and Consumers Directorate-General and Commissioner Tonio Borg.

Tags: European Commission , backyard , slaughter , Agriculture Minister , Ministry of Agriculture and Foods , Tonio Borg , cattle
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Author: peterperfect, 7 Feb 2013 10:27:27
EC May Penalize Bulgaria over Backyard Cattle Slaughter

Eurocrats are very short sighted and have long noses which is why so many fail to see beyond them!!! The slaughter of cattle for personal consumption has bee a right and a way of life for many Bulgarians for generations, it cannot be dealt with overnight, anyone who thinks otherwise does not understand humanity and is in cloud cuckoo land!!! Whilst the aim may be the best one (health & sanitary conditions) you cannot just outlaw something overnight that has been done for hundreds of years. Legislation to slowly improve things and change conditions is the best and surest way, this might take a generation but it is the best and kindest way. After all there is an economic angle to this as well, home slaughter and consumption of animals subsidies low incomes, any change can seriously effect that balance.

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Author: gwenie, 8 Feb 2013 16:01:46
EC May Penalize Bulgaria over Backyard Cattle Slaughter

To our great relief, only cows can't be slaughtered anymore. The ban won't be applied for kids...
Typo??
Quote: "The ban will not apply to pigs, sheep, lambs, goats, kids, and hens."
(mark the second to last species)

Now serious: I am not aware of any big consequence of backyard slaughtering. I disapprove of the EU wanting to make rules about everything and with doing so making the lives of the people in the village even more difficult and giving more room to international chains and bigger factories and production units whether or not owned by "mutri". Nevertheless, there should be an awareness with the people who actually slaughter their animal about public health, risks and animal-welbeing. This said, the animal which grew up in the field next to the house and gets slaughtered in the vicinity probably suffers less than industrial meat production and is less susceptible for health and contamination risks because of not being exposed to a lot of others of his kin.

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