20/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - Denmark and Sweden in favour of new rules on protection of animals in transit. At the Agriculture Council on 19 May, the Danish and Swedish delegations, supported by the Austrian and Dutch delegations, called on the European Commission to state when it plans to propose a revision of the regulation on animal transport and the legislation on animal welfare. Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany and the Czech Republic supported these countries. Whilst it does not rule out a revision of the rules in future, the Commission said that the priority had to be ensuring that the existing rules on animal transport are being properly implemented. Spain, Portugal, Italy, Ireland, France and Finland asked the Commission to focus on implementing the current rules before adding new ones. Even Denmark agreed that its objective was not to have an eight-hour limit on transport for all animals (see EUROPE 11081). (LC)