Greece is cementing its reputation as one of Europe's most forward-thinking nations in the field of animal rights. It is doing so, above all, through an amendment to the 2012 law protecting dogs and cats. Everything is contained in Law 4711, published in the Greek Official Gazette on 29 July 2020, which states in Article 17: "the breeding and use of animals for fighting and related activities is prohibited. It is likewise prohibited to breed and use dogs, cats and horses for the production of fur, leather or meat, or for the manufacture of medicines or other substances."

In practice, therefore, the slaughter of equines is prohibited. This is a significant piece of legislation that assigns horses the same role as dogs and cats — that of human companions rather than livestock — and is the result of lengthy work by animal rights organisations and green political parties which, in the context of the coronavirus emergency and the horse meat scandals and their associated risks to human health, first managed to put pressure on the minister of agriculture and then secured the support of the Greek parliament.

Greece and its love of horses

In Greece, culturally, horse meat is not popular and there are no licensed slaughterhouses for these animals. However, due to the increased use of sport horses in horse racing and equestrian sports, recent years have seen a worrying rise in illegal slaughter, carried out without veterinary checks, and in the export of the resulting meat to neighbouring countries. Commercially it appeared to be a profitable business, and there was already talk of granting licences for equine slaughterhouses. The law and its specific amendment puts an end to any such attempts. The country will now need to align with European regulations on animal registration (Greece currently has no national database, no identification requirement, and therefore no traceability). But the first — and important — step towards protecting the equine species has been taken.

And it doesn't stop at horses

Greek legislation has also taken a significant step forward in the field of animal rights through other regulations. Those concerning the breeding of domestic animals, for example, specify that "in order to breed, reproduce and trade domestic animals (dogs, cats, equines and songbirds), a special licence must be obtained, subject to animal welfare conditions. Anyone operating without having applied for and obtained the necessary approval to establish and run a pet breeding and trading business is liable to an administrative fine of between 1,000 and 20,000 euros."

No more amateur breeders, then, no more home-produced litters sold to the highest bidder — often without legal documentation or health certificates. And no more illegal trade in dogs, cats and other animals that could be used in vivisection circuits, the fur trade or unlawful activities such as clandestine fighting rings.

Horse meat: the situation in Italy

In Italy, there is still much to be done when it comes to the protection and welfare of equines. In our country, unfortunately, the situation is completely different from that in Greece. Italians consume large quantities of horse meat, sustained by false myths and age-old traditions. It is no coincidence that Italy is the leading nation in Europe both for horse slaughter and for the consumption of horse meat, including that imported from abroad.

In Italy, equine meat is not traceable. This means it is impossible to know which farms — if farms are even involved — it comes from. There are therefore significant commercial interests at stake, and the path towards a fairer and less harmful legislative framework for horses has only just begun. But the foundations are there, and what has happened in Greece will serve as an example and an incentive for the Italian legislator too. Human health always depends, in the end, on the health of the animals that surround us and live alongside us.