EU: MEPs adopt recommendations regarding animal transport

Parliament’s inquiry, set up in June 2020 to investigate alleged violations of EU animal transport rules, concluded that EU provisions in this area are not always complied with in member states and do not fully take into account the different needs of animals. Violations include lack of headroom, water or food supply for transported animals, animals being shipped when they are unfit for transport, and overcrowding. Inappropriate vehicles are used, and transport sometimes take place under extreme temperatures and extended journey times.

To remedy the situation, MEPs adopted recommendations on January 20, 2022. They call on the Commission and EU countries to step up their efforts to respect animal welfare during transport, update EU rules and appoint an EU commissioner responsible for animal welfare.

• MEPs urge journey times for domestic animals going to slaughter to be restricted to less than eight hours, and pregnant animals in the last third of gestation should not be transported for more than four hours.
• MEPs want CCTV cameras on transport vehicles, especially for loading and unloading.
• National authorities should only approve animal travel plans if the temperature is forecast to be between 5ºC and 30ºC. Temperature, humidity, and ammonia levels in vehicles should be recorded.
• MEPs demand member states inspect all consignments to non-EU countries, and live animal export should be approved only if it complies with European animal welfare standards.
• MEPs advocate a transition to the transport of semen or embryos over breeding stock, and carcasses and meat over animals being moved for slaughter. MEPs call on the Commission to urgently present, no later than 2023, an action plan to support this transition, including a proposal on a specific fund to minimise the socio-economic impacts of the changes that need to be made.