MEPs question Spain's use of EU grants for bull-fighting

FOUR Spanish MEPs say they believe their country is using EU agriculture grants on promoting and televising bull-fighting, and have called for an investigation and possible sanctions.

Alfred Bosch, Ana Miranda, Raúl Romeva and Ramón Tremosa say these grants are not even used on the actual breeding of bulls, but on filming, entry tickets, repairing and decorating bull-rings, advertising, TV rights, and benefits for promoters of and companies in the bull-fighting industry.

Spain receives around 130 million in agricultural grants for bull-breeding, which would translate to 240 euros per hectare of land used for the purpose.

The MEPs say the bull-fighting industry would be 'on the edge of bankruptcy' if it were not for this money.

They have called for 'greater transparency' from EU member States as to what they spend their grants on.

Additionally, they have called for the EU to stop giving grants to any bull-related activities and for member States to be fined for using agricultural funding for 'inefficient' economic sectors such as 'breeding bulls for a questionable form of entertainment'.