Religious slaughter and animal welfare revisited: CJEU, Liga van Moskeeën en islamitische Organisaties Provincie Antwerpen (2018)

The article comments on a Grand Chamber judgment by the Court of the European Union on animal slaughter according to Islamic prescriptions. The relevant European Union laws prescribe that religious slaughter without stunning of the animal may only take place in approved slaughterhouses which causes...

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Main Author: Anne Peters
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona 2019-12-01
Series:Derecho Animal
Subjects:
Online Access:https://revistes.uab.cat/da/article/view/472
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author Anne Peters
author_facet Anne Peters
author_sort Anne Peters
collection DOAJ
description The article comments on a Grand Chamber judgment by the Court of the European Union on animal slaughter according to Islamic prescriptions. The relevant European Union laws prescribe that religious slaughter without stunning of the animal may only take place in approved slaughterhouses which causes a shortage during the Muslim feast of sacrifice in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The EU law provisions are in conformity with the animal welfare mainstreaming clause of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Moreover, the EU regulation and its application in the concrete case does not violate the fundamental right of free exercise of religion as guaranteed by the EU Fundamental Rights Charter. Finally, the refusal to make an exception for the peak demand for slaughter facilities during the feast does not constitute an indirect discrimination against Muslims. The paper agrees with the outcome of the judgment but criticises the Court for failing to consider the rights of religious minorities more broadly, and for not addressing the animal welfare point sufficiently.
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spelling doaj.art-f6cf5f0768d748548bd470bc705508ca2023-09-02T15:59:21ZengUniversitat Autònoma de BarcelonaDerecho Animal2462-75182019-12-0110410.5565/rev/da.472437Religious slaughter and animal welfare revisited: CJEU, Liga van Moskeeën en islamitische Organisaties Provincie Antwerpen (2018)Anne Peters0Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International LawThe article comments on a Grand Chamber judgment by the Court of the European Union on animal slaughter according to Islamic prescriptions. The relevant European Union laws prescribe that religious slaughter without stunning of the animal may only take place in approved slaughterhouses which causes a shortage during the Muslim feast of sacrifice in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The EU law provisions are in conformity with the animal welfare mainstreaming clause of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Moreover, the EU regulation and its application in the concrete case does not violate the fundamental right of free exercise of religion as guaranteed by the EU Fundamental Rights Charter. Finally, the refusal to make an exception for the peak demand for slaughter facilities during the feast does not constitute an indirect discrimination against Muslims. The paper agrees with the outcome of the judgment but criticises the Court for failing to consider the rights of religious minorities more broadly, and for not addressing the animal welfare point sufficiently.https://revistes.uab.cat/da/article/view/472animal mainstreaming clausediscriminationdirect and indirectRegulation (EC) No 853/2004Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009freedom of religion
spellingShingle Anne Peters
Religious slaughter and animal welfare revisited: CJEU, Liga van Moskeeën en islamitische Organisaties Provincie Antwerpen (2018)
Derecho Animal
animal mainstreaming clause
discrimination
direct and indirect
Regulation (EC) No 853/2004
Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009
freedom of religion
title Religious slaughter and animal welfare revisited: CJEU, Liga van Moskeeën en islamitische Organisaties Provincie Antwerpen (2018)
title_full Religious slaughter and animal welfare revisited: CJEU, Liga van Moskeeën en islamitische Organisaties Provincie Antwerpen (2018)
title_fullStr Religious slaughter and animal welfare revisited: CJEU, Liga van Moskeeën en islamitische Organisaties Provincie Antwerpen (2018)
title_full_unstemmed Religious slaughter and animal welfare revisited: CJEU, Liga van Moskeeën en islamitische Organisaties Provincie Antwerpen (2018)
title_short Religious slaughter and animal welfare revisited: CJEU, Liga van Moskeeën en islamitische Organisaties Provincie Antwerpen (2018)
title_sort religious slaughter and animal welfare revisited cjeu liga van moskeeen en islamitische organisaties provincie antwerpen 2018
topic animal mainstreaming clause
discrimination
direct and indirect
Regulation (EC) No 853/2004
Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009
freedom of religion
url https://revistes.uab.cat/da/article/view/472
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