Animal Welfare Party is delighted that 438 out of 687 MEPs have today voted to end EU subsidies for bullfighting – currently totalling around €129 million per year.

An estimated 129.6 million euros per year in subsidies are currently spent on rearing bulls for bullfighting. Political parties for animals, including Animal Welfare Party and animal campaigners around the world have long argued that bullfighting has no place in modern society and that such subsidies cannot be justified. AWP is delighted that a majority of MEPs have today voted in the EU Parliament to end these subsidies.

Although the amendment must now be approved by EU finance ministers before it becomes law, AWP believes that today’s decision marks an important milestone in the path to eventually ending this cruel tradition and represents a victory for animal rights worldwide.

Notes:

In 2014, for the first time ever, seven animal protection parties from across Europe contested the May 2014 EU Parliament elections. This group, of which AWP was a part, was known informally as ‘The Euro Animal 7′. 

Ending EU subsidies for rearing bulls for bullfighting was one of the Euro Animal 7’s key policies.

More information about the Euro Animal 7 can be found here:

Our 2014 EU Election Campaign video can be viewed here: