The European Parliament’s Committee of Inquiry into the protection of animals during transport called on Thursday 2 December for an overhaul of the rules on animal transport (see EUROPE 12844/17).
The alternative compromise put forward by the Greens/EFA Group in favour of a maximum of 8 hours transport time was rejected by one vote (15 votes in favour, 15 votes against, 1 abstention). The outcome of the plenary vote in January 2022 could be different.
The draft report by Daniel Buda (EPP, Romania) and Isabel Carvalhais (S&D, Portugal) was adopted with 30 votes in favour, 0 against and 1 abstention and the recommendations with 24 votes in favour, 1 against and 5 abstentions.
MEPs advocate a system that would favour the transport of semen and embryos rather than breeding animals, and of carcasses and meat rather than live animals for slaughter.
MEPs want: - video cameras to be installed in vehicles (loading and unloading of animals); - national authorities to approve transport plans only if the temperature is expected to be between 5 and 30 degrees Celsius; - the European Commission to set transport time limits for all animal species and to prohibit the transport of very young animals (under 35 days).
The transport of unweaned animals over 35 days of age should be avoided. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)