EU Commission discusses horse traceability with member states

The European Commission has reminded EU member states of their obligations when it comes to horse traceability.

The commission met with officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) this week following the recent broadcast of an RTÉ Investigates programme.

The documentary alleged systemic flaws in the traceability of horses and how this was threatening the human food chain across Europe.

“The additional information provided in the documentary has been carefully analysed and discussed with member states to ensure a proper follow-up.

“Member states have been reminded of their legal obligations in this area. The commission is currently reflecting on possible follow up actions,” Stefan de Keersmaecker, commission spokesperson, told Agriland.

In instances where the commission receives information on alleged fraud cases, it requests the member state, through the EU Agri-Food Fraud Network, to look into the findings and report back on their investigations and the initial outcome.

Horse traceability

The issue of horse welfare and traceability was also discussed at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture this week.

Michael Sheahan, deputy chief veterinary officer with DAFM, said that the department is committed to “improving horse welfare and traceability”.

“Ireland’s equine traceability system operates within the requirements of and is fully in compliance with the requirements of EU law.

“In recognition of the importance of traceability to equine health, equine welfare and
the integrity of the food chain, the department has placed significant focus on improving
equine traceability in recent years,” Sheahan said.

Suzanne Eade, chief executive of Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), said the organisation was “deeply disgusted and appalled at what we saw in the programme” and would support all investigations.

“We hope that the full rigor of the law is applied to anyone found to have behaved illegally towards horses,” she said.

Eade said that “whole-of-life traceability” is an ongoing priority for HRI and it will continue to work with the department and industry “to enhance our systems and protocols”.

“In 2021, Ireland was the first EU country to implement e-passports for thoroughbreds, which contain five layers of identification, including the thoroughbred’s microchip number and DNA analysis.

“The first phase of a central traceability system for thoroughbreds has been built by Weatherbys, the only organisation authorised in Ireland and UK to issue passports to thoroughbreds.

“The next phase will connect different strands of thoroughbred data in one central database so that we can identify a horse’s whereabouts at key life cycle events,” she said.

Food chain

Denis Duggan, chief executive, Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) told the committee that the organisation “unequivocally condemns” the abhorrent treatment of horses” shown in the RTÉ programme.

“Both the horrific welfare abuses witnessed in the documentary, and the blatant forging of microchips to match passports are grotesque abuses of horses and food chain integrity,” he said.

He said that HSI welcomes a full investigation into “the deeply troubling issues” highlighted by the programme and has offered its full assistance.

HSI, which receives just under €6.5 million in annual funding from the state, is tasked with developing and and supporting equestrian sports in Ireland.

Duggan noted that the organisation does not perform a regulatory role for the sport horse sector, this is the responsibility of DAFM.

Passports

HSI is one of seven passport issuing organisations (PIO) across the sport horse sector.

The organisation registers approximately 8,000 equines annually, which is around 33% of all horses registered annually in the state.

Duggan said that the passports issued adhere to the EU Animal Health Laws and are overseen by DAFM.

He said that the combined “security features” on the documents “make a tampered passport very easy to identify”.

“In the RTÉ documentary we witnessed fraudulent behaviour from people who sought creative ways to circumvent the system.

“It was reported that they purchased microchips with numbers to match existing passports.

“In effect, tampering with the microchip and horse was easier than tampering with the physical passport,” he said.

The committee heard that HSI is in the final stages of testing and rolling out a new digital e-passport which “could contain additional security requirements”.

Duggan noted that additional resources will be required in Ireland to ensure that an adequately resourced welfare and traceability regime is in place.

“The offence practices that we saw in the RTÉ Investigates programme do not in any way reflect the day-to-day reality of the equine sector in Ireland. Equine welfare is at the heart of the industry,” he said.