The European Parliament is expected to vote on Thursday 20 January in Strasbourg on recommendations to strengthen the protection of farm animals during transport.
The Greens/EFA and The Left groups have tabled different amendments aimed at limiting the transport time of livestock as much as possible and avoiding the export of live animals to third countries.
The debate on the recommendations of the Board of Inquiry into the protection of animals during transport will also take place on Thursday 20 January in the Chamber (see EUROPE 12846/4).
Eight hours maximum. The Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament has tabled an amendment to call for a maximum transport time limit of eight hours by air and road for all animals, and 24 hours for transport by sea.
The compromise agreed in the Board of Inquiry provides for a journey time (only for animals for slaughter) “not exceeding, in principle, eight hours”.
The Left Group has tabled ten or so amendments that go even further, notably in favour of a maximum of 2 hours for the transport of livestock.
Export of live animals. Another amendment from the Greens/EFA Group aims to strengthen the recommendations on how to export live animals to third countries.
The Greens/EFA Group calls on the European Commission to establish a list of third countries with rules at least as protective as those of the EU (via an international agreement) and to ensure that “the export of live farmed animals is only allowed to countries on this list”. The recommendations on the table mention a list of third countries with rules which are at least as protective as those of the EU, “to which the export of live farmed animals may be directly authorised on the basis of an international agreement”.
In amendments, The Left Group calls for a ban on the export of live animals to third countries.
Furthermore, some recommendations on so-called vulnerable animals could be challenged by MEPs from the EPP, ECR or Renew Europe groups, such as: - a total ban on the transport of unweaned animals under 5 weeks of age; - a maximum transport time of 2 hours for unweaned animals over 5 weeks old; - do not allow the transport of females in the last third of their pregnancy.
The outcome of the vote is uncertain on these important issues for the future of animal health.
The European Commission will make proposals in 2023 to improve farm animal welfare.
For Tilly Metz (Greens/EFA, Luxembourg), chair of the Board of Inquiry, the recommendations must “live up to” citizens’ expectations. “This vote represents a decisive moment for the cause of animal welfare in Europe and for the credibility of the European Parliament”, she told EUROPE. In 2019, the European Parliament was clearly in favour of a maximum transport limit of 8 hours.
“But now, because of conservative and liberal resistance, it is uncertain whether we will have a majority in favour of this 8-hour limit”, said Ms Metz. She called on her colleagues “to show courage in voting”.
In addition, a petition calling for an EU ban on the export of live farm animals to third countries, with over 900,000 signatures, was handed over to the European Parliament on Thursday 13 January by Compassion in World Farming, FOUR PAWS, WeMove Europe and Animals International.
Link to the recommendations submitted to the European Parliament vote: https://bit.ly/3K5STBs (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)