AR-News: (Austria) Far-Reaching Animal Protection Bill

[Mary Finelli]

>From the May 18th AnimalNet:

AUSTRIAN POLITICIANS AGREE ON FAR-REACHING ANIMAL PROTECTION BILL
Agence France Presse English, May 19, 2004

Vienna - Austria's four political parties were cited as saying on Wednesday 
they have cut a deal on a stricter animal protection bill that sets new 
rules for Jewish and Muslim slaughtering and bans chicken batteries from 
2009.

The compromise came in the early hours of the morning in parliament, after 
the far-right Freedom Party won a concession that animals would receive 
anaesthetic during traditional Kosher and Halaal animal slaughter rites, 
party spokesman Klaus Wittauer said.

The party, which was led into the ruling coalition by Joerg Haider in 2000, 
claimed that the practice constituted animal cruelty and sought to have it 
banned altogether.

The story says this met with bitter opposition from rabbis representing 
Austria's 6,700 Jews, and would also have affected its 300,000 Muslims who 
likewise use the practice under which animals are bled so that their meat 
conforms to religious rules.

The four parties also agreed Wednesday to ban chicken batteries as from 
2009, three years before it is due to be outlawed throughout the European 
Union.

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