On Thursday 14 February in Strasbourg, the European Parliament called for a series of measures to improve the conditions for the transport of farm animals and shorten journeys.
The report by Jørn Dohrmann (ECR, Denmark), calling for strict and harmonised application of the 2005 Directive on the protection of animals during transport and tougher sanctions against offenders, was adopted with 411 votes in favour, 43 against and 110 abstentions (see EUROPE 12180).
The next assembly is called upon, at the beginning of the legislature, to set up a committee of inquiry on animal welfare during transport (the previous request had been rejected by the Conference of Presidents).
By adopting an amendment tabled by the Greens/EFA, GUE/NGL and EFDD groups, Parliament underlines that the suffering of animals during transport causes great social unrest and notes that the Commission has received more than one million signatures from European citizens for the #StopTheTrucks campaign, in which the signatories requested that long-distance transport be stopped.
Transport time. Parliament, divided on the limitation of transport time for farm animals, considers that the transport time for all animals "should not be longer than necessary". Member States are invited to ensure that animals not yet weaned are released for at least one hour to be fed electrolytes or milk substitutes, and to "ensure that their transport does not exceed a total of eight hours". By adopting an amendment by the Greens/EFA Group, MEPs also call for travel by non-weaned animals to be "limited to a maximum distance of 50 km and a maximum duration of one and a half hours".
Parliament refers to the use, if possible, of local or mobile slaughterhouses, "to ensure that animals are slaughtered as close as possible to their place of rearing". He advocates a "transition strategy" towards a more regional model for livestock production (animals born, fattened and slaughtered in the same region). Parliament rejected an amendment from the Greens/EFA Group asking the Commission to limit the travel time of animals for slaughter to a maximum of four hours. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)