Brussels is the only region in Belgium that doesn't have a ban on slaughtering unstunned animals. As a result, animal rights organisation GAIA is suing the region.
Over 30,000 animals are still slaughtered whilst conscious every year in Brussels. GAIA is therefore taking the region to court for its refusal to introduce a ban on unanaesthetised slaughter. It hopes the legal action will enforce stunning before slaughter and ensure that this is written into the new Brussels Animal Welfare Codex, soon to be submitted to parliament.
"With this subpoena, we want to urge Brussels to review the legislation regarding unanaesthetised slaughter in light of recent developments," lawyer Marc Uyttendaele said. He pointed to a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights in February, which stated that the ban on unanaesthetised slaughter – already in place in Flanders and Wallonia since 2019 – does not violate the European Convention on Human Rights.
The ruling rejected the claims of several groups in the Jewish and Muslim communities that the ban breaches religious freedoms and has been cited as "one more reason to no longer allow unanaesthetised slaughter in the Brussels-Capital Region." GAIA is calling for a fine of €10 for every animal slaughtered without being stunned first.
Bernard Clerfayt, Brussels Minister in charge of animal welfare, told The Brussels Times in response: "Guaranteeing the welfare of animals is everyone's business, and it is essential to debate and remain open to consultation, especially when the issues addressed are technical and complex."
He stressed that the future Brussels Animal Welfare Code does address the slaughter of animals, albeit not unstunned, as well as their transport and the conditions in which they are kept, to define "a global vision of our relationship with animals and the place they occupy in our society".
Political pushback
To bring momentum to its efforts, GAIA is launching a campaign to put pressure on politicians. An installation at Central Station will imitate the sound of more than 5,000 bleating sheep and a giant poster has been erected on Place Poelaert, depicting a sheep crying blood and proclaiming that Brussels politicians are deaf to the suffering of animals.
"Enough unnecessary animal suffering," said GAIA president Michel Vandenbosch. "Brussels politicians must finally prove that they take seriously animal welfare, scientific consensus and the view of 34 judges of the highest courts." He denounced "electoral opportunism" and urged for "an end to the cowardly and lax attitude of Brussels politicians."
Credit: The Brussels Times/ Maïthé Chini
Vandenbosch added that the failure to include the ban in the Welfare Codex is especially unacceptable given that several political parties (Ecolo, Les Engagés, MR) have come out categorically in favour of a ban in their election programmes.
A recent survey carried out by Ipsos at GAIA's request showed that a third of Brussels residents (32%) said they would not vote for a party if they did not ban slaughter without stunning. MR voters take the strongest stance (39%), closely followed by Ecolo voters (38%) and Les Engagés (35%).
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In 2022, a proposal to ban unanaesthetised slaughter failed by four votes to find the required majority in the regional parliament. Clerfayt noted now that it will be up to Brussels MPs to debate these issues and "decide on the level of animal protection they wish to put in place".
Meanwhile, religious groups continue to claim that both Kosher and Halal slaughter, when performed correctly, can cause less pain and suffering to animals than industrial slaughter. They argue that further restrictions will lead to a feeling of rejection and discrimination within these communities.
