EU wants to drastically shorten live animal transports
The EU is planning shorter live animal transports and stricter rules. Millions of animals suffer every year under appalling conditions on Europe's roads.
It is unlikely that the EU will ban the transport of live animals between member states.
But it could introduce a maximum transport duration of eight hours, which would effectively end the trade in live animals between some European countries.
During an online briefing on 29 September 2021, during a visit to Bulgaria, MEP Tilly Metz explained that the EU Committee on Animal Transport (ANIT), which is currently investigating allegations of animal mistreatment during transport, is expected to publish its final recommendations in early December. The EU Parliament could then vote on the ANIT recommendations in January 2022.
Metz, the chair of the ANIT committee, said other recommendations could include a ban or partial ban on the export of live animals from the EU. The partial ban could take the form of a list of countries to which European animals may and may not be transported.
Gabriel Paun, EU Director of Animals International, commented on the ANIT committee's proposal to limit transport duration to eight hours as a victory for animals, one that activists have long campaigned for.
A ban on live animal exports to countries outside the EU would be another victory, said Paun, but not a system of white and black lists.
A white and black list system would suggest that there are ships capable of transporting animals safely and protecting their welfare, and that there are export destinations outside the EU where animals are cared for and slaughtered in a manner that complies with EU regulations. But I can tell you that no such ships and no such destinations exist.
Gabriel Paun, EU Director of Animals International
«I was in these countries and I saw these ships, and everything I ever saw was animals being mistreated. The EU also has no way of controlling what happens on the ships or at the destinationt», added Paun.
During the briefing, Metz said there had been a «collective failure» by the EU to adequately protect animals during transport. She added that the EU could no longer permit the transport of live animals outside the EU if it could not guarantee their welfare.
The EU also needed more transparent regulations for animal transport and must close existing loopholes in current rules.
