BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union lawmakers have declared their opposition to using farm subsidies to raise cattle for bullfighting.

In a vote Wednesday that was high in symbolism but had little direct impact, the EU parliament approved an amendment to a budgetary report to say that EU money "should not be used for the financing of lethal bullfighting activities." It passed on a 438-199 vote with 50 abstentions.

The EU's common farm policy does not specifically allocate money to bullfighting or to raising fighting bulls, but general subsidies can end up being used for breeding bulls in Spain, Portugal or France for the popular Spanish pastime.

Bullfighting is widely criticized outside of Spain and has come under increasing pressure in the country itself.