Veterinary Protest March in Valencia This Sunday

Veterinarians in Valencia are gearing up for another protest against the regulation of veterinary medicine. The College of Veterinarians of Valencia (ICOVV) is calling on its members to join the 'protest march' scheduled for June 8th, Sunday, through the city streets. The protests will resonate nationwide as more demonstrations are planned in the capitals of 40 Spanish provinces, mostly on Sunday, with a few more tomorrow and a smaller group on other dates this June.

This time, the invitation is extended especially to pet owners and livestock farmers, as these groups are particularly affected by the restrictive medicine regulation in general and the controversial RD 666/2023 in particular.

"This will be the fourth protest we hold in Valencia, but the group has already organised nine demonstrations without any substantial changes being made. It's not just a problem for veterinarians; it's a conflict that affects the welfare and health of all animals, with significant implications for public health," stated Inmaculada Ibor, president of the ICOVV.

The demonstration is expected to start at the Puerta de la Mar in Valencia, proceeding to Calle de la Paz, passing through Plaza de la Reina, Calle del Micalet, and concluding at Plaza de la Virgen, where a gathering is planned to last at least an hour (from 11 to 12 hours). The protests against the restrictive regulation of veterinary medicine and in favour of reducing VAT on their services began in Barcelona on February 5th with a demonstration that gathered a thousand professionals.

They continued on February 11th with a strike of veterinary centres, which had a significant impact in the region but also took place in most parts of the country. On the 21st of that month, the streets of Valencia city hosted another demonstration attended by veterinarians from the three Valencian provinces.

Beyond the legal reasons, which are more technical and have been repeatedly communicated to the relevant ministries—Agriculture, Health, and Finance—this call aims to focus efforts on involving those directly affected by these regulations. Specifically, RD 666/2023 and the previous regulation of veterinary medicine cause:

1.- Suitable treatments that cannot be prescribed: The regulation mandates the prescription of certain drugs, which are not the most suitable, for certain diseases. This hinders their proper treatment.

2.- Inability to apply science and evidence in prescription: The regulation complicates veterinarians' ability to prescribe drugs according to their clinical judgment and/or scientific evidence. They are forced to adhere to the technical sheets of the products, even though most are outdated and/or obsolete.

3.- Increased risk to animal and public health: Inadequate treatment of animal diseases poses a risk to animal health, but also to public health, as some of these diseases can be transmitted to humans.

4.- Delays in treatments: Veterinarians are required to follow a rigid system in the use of drugs, hindering patients' quick access to the most appropriate treatments.

5.- More expensive treatments with more waste: The regulation requires the prescription of inappropriate packaging, which increases treatment costs and generates hazardous waste.

6.- 21% VAT: Taking an animal to the veterinarian incurs VAT at the highest rate, as if it were a luxury item. However, animal health should not be considered as such, and other essential health services do have a reduced rate.