Update on the actions of IPPOTHESIS in order to provide an institutional framework and legislation for the protection of equidae. Reading following text you will understand why we will never get a grant so please don’t forget to support us.
Athens, 29/1/2020
From the competent authorities to which we applied a letter asking why Ministry of Agriculture and Jockey club of Greece, since they maintain an active code on equine identification platform (UELN, UNIVERSAL EQUINE LIFE NUMBER), why there is no registration of equines in Greece and community regulations have not been incorporated, unfortunately very little interest was shown to us. Until today we just face bureaucracy following one department asking the other one for a solution.
Characteristic is that the Jockey club of Greece, which is responsible under the Law on the welfare of equidae after they are withdrawn from active duty, does not even know where equines are from the moment they exit door of racetrack.
Horse Racing SA or Markopoulo park or any other name they use declare they are not responsible and like the majority of owners, they are not really interested in what happens to those animals when they are no longer useful to them. Very few exceptions exist on this area. Exactly the same applies to the Ministry of Rural Development.
Just to clarify that equine registration is prohibitive on profits of traders and kill buyers. This is why it has been delayed for decades to be resolved, always with the support of institutions.
At European level, with the assistance of the Intergroup on the welfare and conservation of animals, a new written question will be submitted to the competent Commissioner (for which there will be a special report) in the coming days, while responses from the Committee on Written Complaint and Report against Ministry of Agriculture are expected.
At the Ministry of Agriculture since 2015 we have tabled proposals on several occasions for the creation of an institutional and control framework for the protection of equidae.
Athens, 2/12/2019
In our letter addressed to the Ministry of Rural Development & Food and to the Jockey Club of Greece through Ministry of Culture and Sports, we asked them since they maintain a registration code in the Universal Equine Life Number (UELN) why there is no registration and recognition of equidae by the Ministry and lack of register by the Jockey Club of Greece the change of ownership for thoroughbreds when they leave the race track.
Lack of enforcement of identification results only to abuse and neglect of equidae in Greece.
The Universal Equine Life Number (UELN) system has been globally agreed between the major horse-racing and horse racing organizations and is designated by European Regulation 2015/262 as the database that every state should communicate with database.
