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Ritual slaughter

Animal welfare has become a concern after the collapse of the communist regime. The protection of nature is high on the agenda and the new constitution (Basic Law, 2011) gives special emphasis to environmental rights. Nature, environment, animal and plants are subjects and not objects of the law.

The statute on animal protection provides for the painlessness of slaughter. An exception can be done in the case of religiously motivated ritual needs (Act XXVIII/1998. § 19 d).
Faith-based claims need accommodation in positive law. Accommodation, however, is done at the level of the individual and not of the community. For example, ritual slaughter is exempted from animal protection requirements, but slaughter can be invoked through religious reasons. That way, ritual slaughter is not a privilege of the Jewish community or the Muslim community, but the exemption is formulated in an open and neutral way, without mentioning any religion. Detailed regulations ritual slaughter are provided by a decree of the minister for Agriculture. Slaughter has to be overviewed by an official veterinarian and may be observed and controlled by the religious institution that has commissioned the slaughter (140/2012 (XII. 22.) FVM § 2). The Food security agency issues permission for slaughterhouses and also supervises them. The procedure follows EU law (Directive 93/113/EC).

There are no special rules for the import or export of kosher/halal food: the same provisions would apply than for any food.

See also the article in the "Religions and society" heading.

D 19 March 2019    ABalázs Schanda

CNRS Unistra Dres Gsrl

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