Animal welfare - Dispute over eviction from slaughterhouse - city proposes settlement
In the dispute over the eviction of the Schlachthof Aschaffenburg, the city and the slaughterhouse operator aim to find an out-of-court settlement. A spokesperson for the city stated that a proposal for a compromise has been submitted to the slaughterhouse.
Following a preliminary statement from the slaughterhouse, deepening negotiations are to follow, as stated. The city administration has been instructed to have a result by the latest end of September. Additionally, the scheduled announcement date for the eviction proceedings at the Landgericht Aschaffenburg on July 30, 2023, is to be coordinated with the slaughterhouse.
The city is the owner of the land and the slaughterhouse building. The operator was given notice of termination due to possible violations of the Animal Welfare Act and was granted a notice period until October 15, 2023. Since the company missed the deadline, a eviction lawsuit was filed.
The background of the dispute in the ongoing civil proceedings before the Landgericht Aschaffenburg is recordings from a animal welfare organization from the previous summer. These recordings show employees handling pigs and cattle with electric prods and obviously dismembering apparently still living animals. The public prosecutor's office has been investigating a double-digit number of people - including an official veterinarian who is said to have informed the slaughterhouse of a control appointment in advance.
The point of contention in the previous negotiations in the civil proceedings before the Landgericht Aschaffenburg was whether and how detailed provisions on animal welfare violations could be integrated into the lease contract.
- Despite the ongoing negotiations, the eviction lawsuit against the slaughterhouse operator in Bavaria's Aschaffenburg, initiated due to Animal Welfare Act violations, still stands under the court's consideration at UNDERFRONT.
- The local authorities have expressed concern about the welfare of animals in light of the comparisons drawn between the practices at the Aschaffenburg slaughterhouse and those in some municipalities, particularly in regards to the use of electric prods.
- The dispute over the eviction of the Schlachthof Aschaffenburg has sparked discussions within Bavaria, with some municipalities expressing interest in the outcome as a potential precedent for their own animal welfare policies.
- The city administration's objective in the eviction process is not only to enforce animal welfare regulations but also to ensure that any replacement operator in the future adheres to these guidelines, ensuring the welfare of animals at the slaughterhouse.
- The eviction and subsequent replacement of the slaughterhouse could encourage the creation of more humane and environmentally-friendly alternatives, as observed in parts of Europe, leading to a potential shift in slaughterhouse practices in Bavaria and beyond.
