Michel Vandenbosch: "Slaughter without stunning in temporary slaughterhouses was, is and will remain illegal"
The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg has issued an important ruling following a preliminary question from the Brussels Court of First Instance: the slaughter of animals in temporary slaughterhouses was, and will remain banned. The Court considers that this prohibition does not contravene freedom of worship. The 2009 EU Regulation on the protection of animals at the time of killing remains fully in force.
Michel Vandenbosch, GAIA’s president, was present when the Court delivered its judgment. He welcomed this decision: "GAIA intervened in this case to support the Flemish Government and its Animal Welfare Minister, Ben Weyts. The Court's ruling confirms that the Minister has correctly applied European law, and that slaughter without stunning is permanently prohibited on temporary sites.
Mr. Anthony Godfroid, GAIA's attorney, comments: "This decision gives us hope for the ongoing cases before the Constitutional Court concerning appeals against the unanimous adoption of a ban of slaughter without stunning in Waloon and Flemish Parliaments."
