BRUSSELS (EJP)---The European Jewish Community hailed the European Parliament’s vote to legalize the traditional Jewishmethod of animal slaughter, called 'shechita' in Hebrew, into European law.
The vote during the plenary session of the European assembly in Brussels followed months of joint efforts by European Jewish organisations.
The MEPs voted to introduce laws which would be binding across Europe to allow animal slaughter "in accordance with religious rites".
“The vote represents a significant victory for the coalition of the European Jewish Congress, the Conference of European Rabbis and Shechita EU, which was established to maintain the broadest possible representation of the interests of European Jewish communities on the issue of religious slaughter,” the European Jewish Congress (EJC), an umbrella representative body for Jewish communities across Europe, said Thursday.
"We see this issue as crucial to religious freedom and observance in Europe," said Serge Cwajgenbaum, the EJC’s secretary general.
He added: "We spoke with a unified voice, and we worked with MEPs to vote to protect our religious and human rights."
Shechita is currently forbidden in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania.
Switzerland permits shechita for poultry only.
The final text of the proposed amendment to the EU laws will be brought before the EU Council of Ministers next month.
A number of MEPs who were negatively influenced by the heavy lobbying efforts of radical animal rights groups opposed to shechita had tabled amendments at the Report Stage, which would have outlawed religious slaughter.
But their proposals were roundly defeated in the plenary vote.
"This vote represents the first time that ‘Shechita’ has been recognised as a legitimate form of animal slaughter by any European institution," said Henry Grunwald, President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and Chairman of Shechita EU.
"We recognise that some member states disagree on the issue, but we are working hard to achieve a satisfactory outcome for all Jewish communities in Europe when the final text comes before the Council of Ministers in June."
At the same time that they hailed the European Parliament’s crucial vote, Jewish community leaders today also called on EU Agriculture Ministers to follow suit in their upcoming vote in June.
The Council of Ministers will vote in June on a Commission proposal which could leave an open door to allow Member States to effectively ban slaughter according to religious rites - by requiring that all animals be pre-stunned.
Under the regulation as proposed by the Commission, member states could ban a practice that has been observed by Jews and governed by Jewish law for thousands of years.
"The regulation must not be drafted to allow governments in Europe to threaten our culture and our freedom to observe our religion," said Philip Carmel of the Conference of European Rabbis.
"We will be working very closely with member states to achieve a satisfactory outcome for all Jewish communities in Europe when they agree upon the final text in June."
"We urge the Council to take on board the views of the democratically elected European Parliament and to respect the EU charter of human rights,” said Serge Cwajgenbaum.