Our recent post on this site said – “The Serbian government / Ministry are claiming that animals were NEVER exported from Serbia in the first place and that we are wrong in what we say”.
Well it would appear that upon further investigation at our request by the EU, the EU Commission has been informed by the Serbian Ministry of Agriculture that the animals did originate from Serbia; in direct opposition to what was said to us earlier.
When Serbian campaigners questioned the Ministry about this issue in the recent past they were informed that they were ‘wasting Ministry time’.
http://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2015/09/26/further-news-about-exports-to-israel/
But as a result of campaigners continuous “questioning” to the Ministry on the issue; they were then threatened with closure the shelter “Alex” (for stray dogs and others) as some kind of vindictive revenge for asking normal questions about the export consignment.
Now it appears that the Serbian Ministry are telling the EU that the animals did originate in Serbia; and that they were shipped to Israel in accordance with EU Reg 1/2005 and all IATA standards. We cannot currently prove or disapprove this at the current time. Possibly all was correct in the air; but why did the Serbian Ministry deny any involvement with the export consignment ?
Yes we agree, the photos on the posts were only taken in Israel; we have never denied that and make that clear in our posts.
But this does prove that the Serbian authorities will make threats to close down animal shelters within Serbia if questions about their work is asked by welfare campaigners. Suddenly we have a letter from the EU informing us that the lambs that we were informed ‘Serbia had no dealing with’, have suddenly been ‘exported from Serbia by air in accordance with all the regulations’ – and a threat made by the Serbian authorities to close down a shelter (Alex) if we kept on ‘wasting Ministry time’ !
Here is the EU letter we have just been sent to confirm the situation:
Past links and photos:
http://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2015/09/26/further-news-about-exports-to-israel/
http://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2015/09/18/serbia-breaking-news-serbia-exports-live-sheep-to-israel/
http://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2015/09/21/england-sav-now-write-to-eu-commissioner-hahn-regarding-serbia-israeli-live-animal-transport/
Was our persistence a waste of time ? – we think not.
But the very worrying aspect of this is the threats made to welfare groups by the Serbian Ministry when outsiders question them or anything they do – a shelter could have now been closed and animals back on the street to be killed by shinters and authorities.
Does this not stink of some kind of corruption ? – see our new post on the Romanian situation – http://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2015/10/20/romania-serbia-mr-janusz-wojciechowski-mep-video-interview-killing-dogs-in-romania-just-the-same-as-killing-dogs-in-serbia/
As EU citizens and investigators, Do we continue to investigate (and take the Serbian Ministry threats for shelter closure) or do we just shut up and let them continue without any programme of stray animal management – just like Romania ? – see the above link.
Crunch time folks !
Serbia – if you are going to join the EU; then clean up your animal welfare policies and enforce them; as EU welfare groups from across the continent will be hot on your heels all the time to show where you are failing – and report you as a consequence.
