Horse passport survey shows lack of faith
In the wake of the horse meat scandal, a survey has uncovered further evidence that the horse passport system needs a massive overhaul.
Eighty per cent of respondents believed the current system “does not fulfil its purpose”.
Nearly 4,000 people — including owners, vets, passport issuing offices, abattoirs and vets — completed the survey sent out by the Equine Sector Council for Health and Welfare.
The results show a “dramatic lack of confidence” in the system, said the group.
“This puts us in a much better position to show the scale of misunderstanding of the rules,” said sector council chairman Jeanette Allen. “We need to move forward now to create a simpler system and ensure that communication is improved.”
Last month a letter was sent out to the UK’s 75-plus passport issuing organisations (PIOs), outlining the Europe Commission’s plans for member states to implement a single PIO and central database (news, 9 May).
This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (6 June 2013)
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A graduate of Exeter University, Amy joined our news team from Redpin Publishing in 2008 as news writer. She was promoted to deputy news editor in May 2013 and became news editor in April 2015. She left Horse & Hound in March 2016 to take up an editorial position in Dubai.