Guests from European Parliament will visit Penka the cow that strayed outside EU

Members of the European Parliament have shown interest in Penka Cow and will visit her and her owner Ivan Haralampiev. The visit from Brussels is scheduled for June 27th, the owner said.

At present, Penka is still in the village of Kopilovtsi, where she was put under quarantine by the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA).

Yesterday, the agency made prescriptions, and according to Ivan, the animal feels good, but it is stressed and it is high time to return to her herd in the village of Mazarachevo.

The farmer is not yet aware of the reason for the visit from the European Parliament, but what he said is that after Penka’s escape story, people from Germany, England and even China proposed to invest in his farm and help him develop it.

Ivan Haralampiev: “Penka is a symbol of changes and will change many laws in the animal farming area. Many people want to buy her, but I will never sell her because she is a symbol of pride".

The mayor of Kopilovtsi village, Kyustendil area, Western Bulgaria, and Ivan's neighbours are also financially supporting the owner. Penka has now been given a special device that will allow her to be continuously monitored and will help her owner know where the animals from his farm are at any time.

On May 12, Penka the cow wandered a few kilometres away from her herd, and crossed from Bulgaria into neighbouring Serbia which is a non-EU member state. A Serbian farmer found her two weeks later near the town of Bosilegrad. She was identified by her EU-standard ear tag. Police contacted Penka's owner, Ivan Haralampiev, and told him to come and get her.

On their way home, Penka and her owner were held up at the border crossing because did not have the necessary EU paperwork to authorize her return. The Bulgarian authorities then said she would have to be put down as she had violated guidelines under which animals entering the European Union are required to have papers verifying their health.

After Penka's fate raised at the European Commission, a petition was launched to save her, including support from Sir Paul McCartney, among others.

On 11^th of June, the Bulgarian authorities agreed to spare the life of cow Penka after plans to execute her for crossing European Union borders without paperwork triggered an international outcry.

The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency agreed to review the case and said that the results from laboratory tests showed she was in good health.

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