The chair of Parliament's Agriculture Committee Neil Parish said that reports he received from organisations contain "significant evidence that the existing legislation is not being enforced in several member states".

Mr Parish said he had "pressed the European Commission many times on this, yet still nothing seems to be done", while Ms Lynne said "it is vital that EU Governments and the EU Commission act quickly to ensure that existing rules are properly enforced, with punishments to match."

Liz Lynne, the Liberal Democrat MEP, said "I hope Thursday's debate will raise awareness of the issue, both among my fellow MEPs and among the public in general, and will be a step towards alleviating the avoidable trauma these animals are subjected to."