Romania's live animal exports in breach of EU legislation, ECJ rulings (NGO)

Romania risks being sanctioned for breaching European regulations and rulings of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) as regards the conditions of its live animal exports, Gabriel Paun, director for the European Union of the Animals International NGO told a press conference on Tuesday. 

The NGO released on Tuesday the results of an investigation into live animal exports from Romania to African and Asian countries. 

"This investigation brings to light the officials' complete failure to monitor livestock exports. Animals raised in Romania are transported in a manner that violates EU regulations and the rulings of the European Court of Justice, while animal slaughter is performed in a barbarous manner, in violation of international standards," Paun said. 

With annual exports of over 1.5 million calves and sheep, mainly to Libya, Jordan and Israel, Romania is the largest exporter of live animals in the EU. 

At the same time, Paun pointed out that Romania would earn much more if it did not export livestock, but frozen and deep-chilled meat. 

"I don't understand why we are exporting lambs or calves when they could be raised, fattened and slaughtered in Romania, for us to then export products with high added value, instead of exporting jobs. This is about tending to our national interest, not to the interest of certain import-export companies, which are the only ones to gain," the director of Animals International went on to say. 

According to him, live sheep are shipped out of country at a price of 6 lei per kilogram and sell in the countries of destination for about 6 euro. 

Gabriel Paun added that European partner organizations will start a broad media campaign in several countries, as such offences have been discovered in animal transports from other European states too.AGERPRES .