Brussels, 13/11/2001 (Agence Europe) - With the adoption, on Tuesday in Strasbourg, of the report by Albert Jan Maat (EPP, NL) on the welfare of animals during transport, the European Parliament regrets that respect of the directives in this field appears to be a low priority for Member States and that the Commission is not very active in ensuring compliance. The Parliament notes the alarming conclusions of the Commission inquiry published in December 2000 on this subject, and calls on it to present the following proposals forthwith: - a maximum eight-hour limit or 500 km for the duration of transport of cattle, horse, goats and pigs not intended for reproductive or sporting purposes; - provision so that the animals may lie down, have access to fresh water and travel in acceptable conditions of temperature (between 5 and 30 degrees) in the case of transport exceeding four hours in duration. The Parliament also hopes the Commission will provide for temporary exemptions to these new rules for regions having few or no slaughterhouses within a radius of 500 km, and give its stance as soon as possible on export refunds for livestock.