Belgium’s Flemish region has banned religious slaughter without stunning.

The move by the parliament of Flanders in northern Belgium, which passed the resolution last week, follows a similar decision by the Walloon region in May.

Half of Belgium’s Jewish population of 40,000 lives in the Flemish region.

Kosher slaughterhouses in Antwerp, the capital of the region, provide meat to many Jewish communities across Europe.

Both measures, in Wallonia and the Flemish region, will take effect in 2019.

Chief Rabbi Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis, said: “The news that the Flanders region of Belgium has joined Wallonia in passing a legislation banning religious slaughter is a clear attack on religious practices and a worrying omen for the future of religious rites across Europe.

"We cannot tolerate bans on religious practices. Leaders across Europe must protest against the ban and work to protect our religious freedoms.”