At the EU ‘Agriculture’ Council on Monday 26 May, a dozen ministers called for an assessment of the consistency of the legislative proposal on animal transport with the European Commission’s new policy guidelines, including the ‘Vision for Agriculture’, which stresses in particular the need to guarantee the future of the livestock sector in the EU.
The Italian minister, Francesco Lollobrigida, spoke of the economic profitability of the sector. In his view, it is necessary to “guarantee the proportionality” of the measures and equal treatment with third countries.
“The new parameters and limitations for journeys can actually jeopardise the continuity of breeding and trade of live animals, as well as increase the costs, the number of circulating vehicles and emissions”, states a note (https://aeur.eu/f/h28 ) submitted by Italy and supported by several countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal and Romania.
In addition, the proposed restrictions “can hamper the capacity of some member States to maintain the current export to third Countries, with detrimental effects on the global supply chain, food security and trade partnership”, the note continues. Spain stated that the Italian document was “a step in the right direction”.
For Germany, animal transport should be guaranteed “without jeopardising the work of our companies” and that a compromise should be found on the basis of the Commission’s proposal. Denmark called for the rules on animal transport to be updated.
The Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, Olivér Várhelyi, stressed the need to strike a “good balance” between animal welfare, the economic viability of the sector and the expectations of the public. He said he was “fully aware” of the divergent, even opposing, positions on this proposal.
According to Mr Várhelyi, the revision should enable livestock production and trade to continue with a minimum of disruption and administrative burden. He stressed as well the need for equivalent rules for animal imports into the EU.
MEPs are also divided on whether these rules should be tightened (see EUROPE 13642/8). (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)