On behalf of Animal Welfare Foundation, on blood farms and Pregnant Mare’s Serum Gonadotropin (PMSG) 

The petitioner calls on the Parliament to promote a ban on the import of Pregnant Mare’s Serum Gonadotropin (PMSG) from South America following the results of investigations, evidencing inhuman treatment of mares in Uruguay and Argentina. PMSG is used to produce veterinary medicines to increase fertility of farm animals in the EU, particularly pigs. The petitioner claims that blood farms in South America do not respect the provisions of Regulation No. 142/2011 on animal by-products as regards import, transit and export of animal by-products and of derived products. Mares are not subject to veterinary controls and suffer from poor health condition. National authorities do not provide sufficient controls and audits of the farms. The petitioner also points out that use of PMSG causes deplorable effects on the health and welfare of European sows and piglets and that alternative means to induce pigs’ fertility exist. The petitioner stresses that 2 million citizens signed an AVAAZ petition to ban the imports of cruelly produced PMSG.