Bill defines horses, donkeys and mules as pets, provides for prison sentences of up to three years and fines of up to 100,000 euros for the slaughter of horses.
Italy could soon ban horse meat for human consumption under a law that would define equidae, including horses, donkeys and mules, as pets, making their slaughter illegal.
The bill was drafted by Michela Vittoria Brambilla, a politician from the Noi Moderati party, a member of Giorgia Meloni’s government coalition, and has the support of opposition parties.
If approved, the project provides for prison sentences of up to three years and fines of up to 100,000 euros for the slaughter of horses.
The bill also proposes mandatory microchipping and a national monitoring system, as well as a fund of 6 million euros to help breeders adapt their businesses.
Horse meat has traditionally been part of Italian cuisine, especially in Puglia, Campania, Sicily, Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna. Although consumption has decreased significantly in the last decade, Italy continues to be one of the largest importers and consumers of this meat in Europe.
“We are in the 21st century and, however, horses continue to be exploited in different ways”, who is also president of Leidaa, an animal rights association. “Horses, in particular… while in the Anglo-Saxon world eating horse meat is almost inconceivable, in our country the species is literally exploited to the bone. But friends should not be eaten.”
Brambilla stated that the proposal was “an extraordinary opportunity to promote a cultural change that is already dear to the hearts of the majority of Italians”.
Not everyone is convinced
Gian Marco Centinaio, former Minister of Agriculture and politician from the far-right League party, and also a member of the government coalition, said that banning the consumption of horse meat “it would mean erasing a piece of the history of Italian cuisine”, which in December was inscribed on UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage“and also the identity of some regions… from the horse meat stews of Verona and Salento to the meatballs of Catania”.
Dario Damiani, from Forza Italia, stated that the proposal does not take into account “the gastronomic traditions of many regions” and it would be a blow to “traditional economic chain” these regions, putting companies and jobs at risk.
The drop in horse meat consumption among Italians has been driven by a cultural shift as well as growing ethical concerns and empathy for animals. In a survey carried out last year, 83% of Italians said they did not consume horse meat, while 17% said they consumed it at least once a month.
