“MTV3´s TV report to be reviewed by Italy´s new government”
News on MTV3 website 7.5.2008 (in Finnish).

“LAV, Italy´s biggest animal rights organization, will take the Finnish TV report describing the cruelness of European transports of horses for slaughter to the Minister of Health of Silvio Berlusconi’s government during May.

According to Roberto Bennati, vice president of LAV, the program is a shocking evidence of a brutal business.

Every week horses are transported thousands of kilometres for slaughter on European roads without access to food or water.

Even pregnant and wounded animals are transported in these vehicles. Surveillance is very poor especially in Eastern Europe.

“Handle with Care”, a campaign launched by international animal welfare organizations, opposes horse transportations destined from Spain to Italy since they inflict severe cruelty to animals.
LAV cooperates with the campaign.”

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“Horse meat sausages from a Roman market”
TV report 7.5.2008 on the Finnish TV news program “45 Minutes” (channel MTV3, in Finnish).

Ambassador of Italy in Finland, Mrs. Elisabetta Kelescian sent MTV3 a letter after the showing of the video report “Journey of agony” in December, emphasising that Italy has little responsability in cruel transports of horses.
However, these transportations take place mainly due to high demand of equine meat in Italy. There is a large variety of horse meat sausages and other equine meat products.

Horse meat is especially popular in Southern Italy. However, it is not merely a tradition of the south. There might be 20-30 equine meat merchants in every Central Italian town, and even some in Northern Italy.

Italian consumers believe that the horse meat that they buy is domestic, but in reality most of it is imported.

The journey of agony of European horses transported for slaughter ends in Italian dinner tables.
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“Satellites to control transports of horses for slaughter”
News on MTV3 website 28.2.2008 (in Finnish).

In response to written questions made by four Finnish MEPs in the EU Parliament - Satu Hassi, Alexander Stubb (present Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland), Anneli Jäätteenmäki and Hannu Takkula - Mr Kyprianou of the European Commission answered that navigation systems will be used to control transport vehicles in transport of live animals. This will be one of the major applications of the recently confirmed space programme Galileo.

“Since the navigation systems include devices that allow detecting the time of travel and position of the vehicles and to provide information, such as temperatures, from the compartments of animals, they are useful tools to monitor animal welfare during transport.”

Read joint answer given by Mr Kyprianou here.

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“MTV3 report gives birth to a popular movement”
News & video clips on MTV3 website 12.2.2008 (in Finnish).

“The popular movement demands that exporting of live animals for slaughter must be abolished. 35 000 signatures have been collected for a petition that demands strict surveillance of slaughter horse transports within EU.”

“In Support of the Horses” arranged a press conference on February 12th 2008 at Ruskeasuo stables in Helsinki. The event gathered together several Finnish well-known horse lovers, among them Miss Finland 2008 Satu Tuomisto.

Mrs. Uma Aaltonen handed our petition of more than 35 000 signatures to a representative of the Finnish Parliament, Mr. Jari Leppä. The collecting of names, however, will continue and the final version will be delivered to the European Commission.

The press reported the event in major newspapers, news websites and magazines.

The media showed interest in our press conference.

Our petition is read by Mrs. Uma Aaltonen to Mr. Jari Leppä, a representative of the Finnish parliament.

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“Suffering of the horses forces us to act”
TV report 19.12.2007 on the Finnish TV news program “45 Minutes” (channel MTV3, in Finnish).

Minna tells how shocked she was to be aware of the cruel horse trade that exists within EU. Together with a group of other concerned people she works on opening a website and starting a petition to help to bring more control and surveillance to the inhumane animal transports.
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“Horse lovers outraged of TV report”
News on MTV3 website 14.12.2007 (in Finnish).
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“Journey of agony” - Video report shown on the Finnish TV news program “45 Minutes” (channel MTV3) in December 2007.
(Please click the link “video” next to the headline “12.12. Teurashevosten tuskien tie”. Voices in Finnish.)

This TV report brought the cruel transportations of horses for slaughter into the consciousness of many TV viewers in Finland.