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		Horse Welfare matters says MEP Wednesday, 19th November 2008 The World Horse Welfare organisation is putting a dossier forward to Commissioner Vassilliou in Strasbourg this week, to campaign for better transportation and slaughter conditions for horses. Roger Helmer, the Conservative MEP for the region, has fully supported this move by the World Horse Welfare organisation and is urging other MEPs to support their call for horses to be slaughtered before being transported across Europe for meat. The current system allows people to send horses and donkeys across Europe to Italy, often in poor conditions where the animals suffer dehydration, illness and injury following cramped travelling conditions. Mr Helmer comments: “The transportation of these animals is not only unnecessary but causes a huge amount of distress to them. Often they are transported for days on end without a break. I am supporting calls from World Horse Welfare to change this, so they can be slaughtered in their country of origin and then shipped to their destination.” He continues: “This would mean that the horses and donkeys would be spared a terrible ordeal, while the meat would arrive at its destination in a better condition than it does now. The public can register their support for this campaign on www.makeanoise.co.uk” Mr Helmer met with Jo White, the director of campaigns and communications at World Horse Welfare, on her visit to Strasbourg and assured her that he will fully support their dossier and he hopes that others will follow him and back the proposed measure.