The European Parliament voted to allow religious animal slaughter (shechita) as part of an amendment on new animal welfare regulations to prevent unnecessary suffering. According to the proposal, animals must be slaughtered in a way the kills them instantly or after stunning. Cases of religious ritual were granted full exemption from these conditions.
"This vote represents the first time that shechita has been recognized as a legitimate form of animal slaughter by any European institution," said Henry Grunwald, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and chairman of Shechita EU. Shechita is currently forbidden in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. While Jewish groups have pushed for the legalization of shechita, animal rights groups have called for its ban, claiming that is inflicts severe suffering upon animals. The proposed amendment to the EU laws will be brought before the Council of the European Union next month.