23.10.2012

Eight Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have called on the EU and its member states to "follow the example" of California and ban the production and sale of foie gras in Europe.
The demand comes after a conference in parliament earlier this week heard a robust defense of the foie gras sector from several prominent speakers, including French minister of agri-food industry, Guillaume Garot.
The conference, organised by French MEP Francoise Castex, was also attended by some regional presidents, and an expert who led a discussion on how Europe could avoid a foie gras ban.
On Wednesday, MEPs who had organised a 'counter' conference, branded foie gras as a "product being the result of real torture for animals".
They pointed to a report by the international animal rights organisation Animal Equality into the foie gras industry.
Animal Equality says the production of foie gras should be abolished, as it has been done in several countries.
They are: Argentina, Austria, Denmark, Czech Republic, Finland, Israel, Turkey, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, UK and most recently, in California.
Zanoni said the aim was to "raise awareness about the torture of thousands of ducks and geese on foie gras farms within five European countries".
These are Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Hungary and Spain.
In other member states, the farming of animals to produce foie gras is banned, but not the import or sale of the product.