PM Orban: Let's not export live animals - medium-term objective; more human and profitable

Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said on Friday that banning export of live animals should be a medium-term objective, mentioning that the intervention in the case of the sunken ship in the Midia Port exporting sheep showed "a certain paralysis of some of the state entities that did not intervene promptly."

"There are many things that I do not understand in relation to what happened there. It showed a certain paralysis of some state entities that did not intervene promptly. I kept in touch with the non-governmental organizations and most of the rescue process, starting on Monday evening, I must say it was done by them (...). Basically, all the intervention procedures need to be reviewed. And honestly, what bothers me the most is the lack of measures after the first emergency situation call that was carried out perfectly, the paralysis of the Sanitary Veterinary Authority. And I was also disturbed by the attitude of the Naval Authority and the head of the Midia Port. However, the ministers will analyze the activity of each entity and they will take the necessary measures," Ludovic Orban told Digi24 private television broadcaster.

He said that PNL (National Liberal Party) has submitted to Parliament a draft that prohibits the export of live animals in certain situations, mentioning that this should be a medium-term objective.

"Unfortunately, at present, Romania's agricultural export consists mostly, almost 70 percent, of bulk cereals and live animals. As a party, we did submit several months ago a draft law that provided not a ban on the export of live animals, but basically exports made under certain conditions, where there cannot be provided decent conditions for the animals transported. The draft law is to be debate in Parliament. Because banning exports of live animals so suddenly would be a hasty measure, while this should be a medium-term objective, not to export live animals anymore. It would be much more human and at the same time cost-effective to invest more in processing raw materials from agriculture," added Orban.

He reaffirmed that the situation of the failed ship was also discussed at the Government meeting and he urged the ministers of Transport and Interior to take measures to speed up the intervention, while mentioning that he did not receive a European view on this issue.

He also said that during the intervention there were elements that needed to be taken into consideration, referring to the fact that all sailors were saved and the port was not blocked.

On Thursday, the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA) announced that 228 sheep out of the 14,600 were rescued from the sunken ship in the Midia Port, and authorities are continuing rescue operations.