Reineke Hameleers, CEO, Eurogroup for Animals

The way animals are transported in the EU is heartbreaking, devastating and unbelievably brutal and cruel. The investigation of the ANIT Committee confirmed that animals are currently not protected during transport and that changes are urgently needed. I expect from my colleagues in the ANIT Committee that they give a strong message to the European Parliament: long-distance transport, live export and the transport of vulnerable animals, such as unweaned animals, so-called ‘end-of-career’ animals and pregnant animals, must be stopped. We should be ashamed of ourselves if we let this continue, while we have the power to stop it.

Anja Hazekamp MEP (The LEFT), Vice Chair of the ANIT Committee and President of the Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals

EU citizens and civil society are asking us to consider animal welfare as a priority. This cannot happen if live transport continues as before. We need shorter distances and species- and category-specific transport times and rules, a ban on transport of unweaned animals and more support for local and regional systems. And the massive export of live animals to third countries has to come to an end.

Tilly Metz MEP (Greens/EFA, LU), Chairwoman of the ANIT Committee and Vice President of the Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals

On December 2nd the ANIT members can contribute to the building of a truly sustainable transport system by supporting key amendments to the ANIT Report and Recommendations. 

To make sure that human and animal health and welfare will be effectively addressed in the revised Transport Regulation, Eurogroup for Animals urges to:

• Replace terrestrial farmed animals transport with the export of meat, carcasses and genetic materials to non-EU countries.
• Introduce species- and category-specific maximum journey times with a maximum travel time of 8 hours for adult bovine, swine, and ovine, and 4 hours for poultry and rabbits.
• Prohibit the transport of unweaned and pregnant animals (for which 40% of the pregnancy stage has already passed).
• Introducespecies-specific requirements for the commercial movements of fish and invertebrate, laboratory animals, equidae, cats and dogs.
• Introduce clear definitions and species-specific rules for the Intra-EU movement of animals, including stricter and centralised systems for the approval of livestock vessels used to move animals within the EU.

ENDS
 

Notes

Readthe white paper Live animal transport: time to change the rules

Check the investigations on live animal transport 

Clips from the investigations can be found on our YouTube channel 

The Committee of Inquiry on the Protection of Animals during Transport (ANIT) was set up in June 2020 to investigate alleged violations in the application of the “Transport Regulation” (Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport). 

Regards Mark

DRAFT REPORT on the investigation of alleged contraventions and maladministration in the application of Union law in relation to the protection of animals during transport within and outside the Union (2020/2269(INI)) Committee of Inquiry on the Protection of Animals during Transport Rapporteurs: Daniel Buda, Isabel Carvalhai

Link – PR_INI (europa.eu)

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DRAFT RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE

COMMISSION

Click to access 1233377EN.pdf

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