Official Report 121KB pdf
The regulations implement a European Community obligation and prohibit the slaughter practice known as pithing. Do members have any comments?
We do not want to discuss the practice.
It is a rather horrible procedure that happens at the time of slaughter.
As the instrument will probably interest the European Committee or the Rural Development Committee, we can draw it to their attention.
We also need to explore an issue of vires in relation the implementation of European Commission Decisions.
The European Committee will also be interested in that.
We will ask the Executive when the regulations will come into force; how that timing relates to any community obligations; and whether the Executive is edging away from how the regulations should be implemented.
Perhaps we should consider the Executive's suggestions against the background of the particular Commission decision.
We will also ask what authority the Executive has for delaying bringing the regulations into force.