European Parliament Recommends Directive Protecting Kosher Slaughter

According to a European Parliament press release, yesterday the European Parliament approved a new directive on protection of animals at the time of slaughter, with an exemption for slaughter according to religious ritual. (Full text of resolution, Word doc, scroll to pg. 114). The release explains:

MEPs approve the principle that animals must be slaughtered using only methods that ensure death instantly or after stunning, except in the case of religious ritual, for which they called for the current blanket exemption to be preserved rather than allowing for exemptions to be decided at national level.

EJP reports that the proposal now goes for a vote by the EU Council of Ministers, scheduled for next month. Currently kosher slaughtering of animals is banned in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, while Switzerland permits it only for poultry. The European Jewish community is concerned that the impact of the bill could be undercut because a vote is scheduled next month by the Council of Ministers on whether even animals killed in religious rites are required to be stunned before slaughter. Kosher slaughtering does not permit stunning.