Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden will call for an update of the EU animal transport legislation at the Agriculture Council on 18 July.
In a note prepared for the ministerial debate, these five delegations advocate, among other things, an eight-hour limit for the transport of all animals to the slaughterhouse.
The European Commission is due to present proposals in 2023 to amend EU legislation on animal welfare, including during transport.
These countries “share the concerns of European citizens” about the suffering caused to animals during transport and “support a review of animal transport legislation in the EU”, the note reads.
The requests of this group of countries concern the journey time, but also other issues such as: - the definition of ‘economic activity’; - the destination of animals outside the EU (stricter rules on the export of live animals to third countries); - distance to ceilings (in transport vehicles); - requirements for watering and feeding intervals; - transport in extreme temperatures.
Link to the note from these countries: https://aeur.eu/f/2j5 (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)