On Thursday 7 December, the European Commission adopted the biggest reform of EU animal welfare rules during transport in 20 years. The Commission is also proposing, for the first time ever, new EU rules on the welfare and traceability of dogs and cats, which are bred, kept and traded, as companion animals, for economic purposes.
Operators will have five years to adapt to a number of new measures requiring longer-term planning and investment. A number of transport companies will have to make changes and invest in their vehicles in order to provide more space per animal. Shipping companies that do not currently meet the required maritime safety standards for animals will have to renovate their ships.
Transport. “Although our legislation has been in place for decades, in many cases animals have suffered during transport. Our proposal will bring tangible changes in this area, thanks to new scientific knowledge and our experience of existing requirements. We must ensure that we do not witness the maritime tragedies of recent years”, commented the Commissioner for Health, Stella Kyriakides.
The Commission is proposing shorter journey times and more breaks.
For animals destined for slaughter, the maximum journey time is set at nine hours (there is currently no limit on the journey time to the slaughterhouse, only a 24-hour rest period at a control post after 24 to 29 hours, depending on the species).
For other animals, the maximum journey time is 21 hours and must include at least one hour’s rest after 10 hours. After a 21-hour journey, the animals must be rested for 24 hours outside the vehicle before continuing the journey. The animals must be given food and water during the resting period. After this 24-hour rest period, the animals may be transported for a further 21 hours (including a one-hour rest period after 10 hours), by which time they must have reached their final destination.
The proposal considerably improves the space available compared with existing legislation. It determines the minimum space to be allocated to each animal according to its species and weight.
The proposal includes a series of new requirements to ensure that the revised EU rules to protect animals during transport are effectively applied also during export, up to the place of destination in the third country. These include stricter rules for the transport of animals by sea (more stringent maritime safety standards for ships and the obligation to have staff on board who are trained in animal welfare), as well as a new independent audit and certification system for animal exports both by road and by sea.
The proposal protects animals from extreme temperatures (very hot or very cold). If temperatures of between 25 and 30°C are expected, journeys should be limited to a maximum of nine hours. When temperatures exceed 30°C during the day, transport will only be authorised at night. And if the forecast calls for temperatures in excess of 30°C at night too, more space per animal will be needed to reduce heat stress.
In addition, when forecast temperatures fall below 0°C, road vehicles must be covered and animals must be protected from exposure to the wind. Below -5°C, in addition to the measures described above, journey times are limited to nine hours.
The proposal includes special provisions for vulnerable animals, such as pregnant females, laying hens at the end of their production cycle and unweaned calves.
The Commission is continuing its work in other areas, including animal welfare at slaughter, on-farm welfare and labelling.
Link to the proposal: https://aeur.eu/f/a04
Link to annexes: https://aeur.eu/f/a05
Dogs and cats. Depending on the type of establishment, minimum space allowances and a ban on cages, access to natural light and outdoor exercise, temperature limits for accommodation and basic feeding requirements are laid down (https://aeur.eu/f/a06 ). Breeding is regulated (frequency limits and minimum age) and inbreeding is prohibited. Painful mutilations (otectomy and caudectomy) are prohibited, except for veterinary reasons and under anaesthetic.
Fur. On the basis of the scientific opinion of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) due by March 2025 and an assessment, the Commission will communicate by March 2026 whether it considers it appropriate to propose a ban, after a transition period. It will also examine whether other measures are needed to ensure the welfare of farmed fur animals. EFSA will focus on animals bred exclusively for fur production (minks, foxes, raccoon dogs and chinchillas).
The Commission will organise visits to fur farms in the Member States to assess the health controls in place. It could also decide to add the American mink to the list of invasive alien species of concern to the EU.
Europe’s fur industry has welcomed the “scientific” approach adopted by the Commission in its response to the European citizens’ initiative (ECI) ‘Fur Free Europe’. This ECI calls for an end to the keeping and killing of animals for the sole or main purpose of producing fur, and to the placing on the European market of farmed animal fur and products containing fur. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)