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		MEP supports ILPH on transportation Monday 11 August 2003 East Midlands MEP Roger Helmer is meeting with the International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH) on Monday 11th August to discuss the issue of live animal transportation. Roger Helmer, who has been campaigning on the issue in the European Parliament, will be taking part in a filmed interview on animal transportation to be used in a documentary for the Anglia TV series Cover Story. Mr Helmer's interview will be used in conjunction with footage the ILPH have collected along with Anglia on two recent field trips in Eastern Europe, examining the trade in horses from Poland to Italy. Three months ago, East Midlands Conservative MEP Roger Helmer and other colleagues, put down a "Written Declaration" calling for reform of animal transport. Since then over half of the Members of the European Parliament have signed the declaration to improve animal welfare standards. The declaration draws attention to animals such as live sheep and lambs being transported in excess of 40 hours, subject to overcrowding, poor ventilation, water and food deprivation. MEPs have called on the European Commission to introduce a new maximum limit for the live transfer of animals of 8 hours or 500km on journeys for slaughter or further fattening. Roger Helmer said: "I have done a lot of work on this issue with animal charities including the ILPH. With the backing of the recent parliamentary resolution, I shall be pressing Commissioner David Byrne to take urgent action to ensure the protection of animals in transit in the EU, and put an end to the appalling abuses which horses and other animals suffer today". Anglia are planning to air the documentary in October.