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Brussels to stop financing bullfighting with EU money

The debate about bullfighting in Spain still rages on. Obviously, animal lovers and animal rights activists want to put a stop to it, but there are still those who view this bloody sport as a tradition and culture with deep-seated roots in Spanish history that must continue.

However, as time goes on and more and more pressure is being applied upon Spain to change its view and put an end to the killing and inhumane torture of defenceless animals just for the pleasure of what is now a minority, it looks as though the lovers of all living creatures may soon become triumphant in the not-so-distant future.

Earlier this week, an amendment presented to the European Parliament in Brussels by the Green Party was approved by an absolute majority, with 438 votes for, 199 against and 50 abstentions, which calls for an end to the EU subventions being given to bullfighting-related activities.

The amendment was presented to Brussels alongside a report about EU budgets and stated that “financing activities that involve or lead to the death of the bull” is in direct violation of the European Convention for the Protection of Animals kept for Farming Purposes.

This law states that farm animals “should be protected against any unnecessary suffering or injury caused by their housing, the feed they are given or the care they receive.”

Animal rights activists involved in campaigning for and passing this amendment through the European Court have estimated that 130 million euro of EU money is put aside each year for bullfighting activities.

This money actually comes from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which is given to those in the agricultural sector but on the basis of “the area of their land”. It doesn’t take into account what that land is used for, which is the problem here.

The Greens (Los Verdes) have demanded that this type of activity is no longer financed from money from the CAP fund, or from any other fund for that matter.

The fact that this proposal has been approved with such a majority is a huge victory for animal rights activists. It also shows that the European Parliament is morally and politically distancing itself from supporting such activities by withdrawing the public money it had previously provided.