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Animals stuck on a truck for months, an uneven application of EU animal welfare rules, and complex transport costs. Europe’s animal transport conundrums are getting a second look.
This article is part of our special report Animal protection – in Europe and beyond
Underwritten Produced with financial support from an organization or individual, yet not approved by the underwriter before or after publication.
Transport of livestock intended for slaughter. Bovines in a livestock truck. [(Photo by: Leitenberger S/Andia/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)]
This article is part of our special report Animal protection – in Europe and beyond.
Animal transport talks are on the table again, with welfare groups hoping for more robust rulings to prevent cruelty and suffering at the EU’s borders as well as lengthy travel times.
Last week, the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) and the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) of the European Parliament shared an exchange of views in a joint committee meeting on the Commission’s proposal concerning the protection of animals during transport and related operations.
The Commission’s proposal contains measures such as limiting journey times and introducing more rest breaks, increasing space allowances during transportation, enhancing the conditions for exports to non-EU countries and new measures around transporting animals in extreme temperatures, both hot and cold.
Jo Swabe, Senior Director of Public Affairs, Humane Society International (HSI)/Europe, said she is pleased to see movement towards increasing animal welfare as the current legislation is not fit for purpose, and animals are suffering because of it. She believes it needs to “be brought in line with current animal welfare science.”
“It must also reflect technological developments, like GPS tracking and the digitisation of their systems in order to track travel time – and for all kinds of traceability. If you’re moving animals across borders, they can also be accompanied by infectious diseases- so you really need to know what is being transported and when and where,” she said.
Lobby interests
Swabe was present at the exchange of views last week. She noted, “It was fascinating how it was very clear that there’d been heavy industry lobby because the same narratives, for example, on increased emissions due to increased space allowances and supposedly, therefore, more trucks on the road, were being repeated by certain parties,” she said.
Animal rights and welfare groups want the meat industry to move away from live exports and have animals slaughtered locally.
Earlier this year, a Bill was passed in the UK banning the live export of animals intended for slaughter or fattening. Could the EU make the same move?
“This is something that we were pleased with – the Commission acknowledged in its proposal, and this was also repeated last week in the meeting, that the preference is to move towards a carcass-only trade instead of transporting live animals.”
“In other words, to transport animals “on the hook” instead of “on the hoof”. If you are shifting operations, you have maybe even the possibility of creating more employment opportunities by having more localised slaughter and the export of meat, rather than the export of live animals,” said Swabe.
“Obviously, animals aren’t just being transported for slaughter purposes, so this only applies to part of the trade,” she added.
To ban, or not to ban?
Daniel Buda, EPP, first vice-president of COM AGRI and rapporteur on the dossier, said the transport of live animals must continue, commenting – “Please stop this train of thought leading to a total ban on such transport!” – explaining they are also transported for reproduction.
“We cannot stop an economic activity indispensable to the survival of our farmers – [farmers] have every interest that their animals are transported to the highest standards possible because their purpose is to ultimately deliver adequate productions of milk or meat,” he said.
“That is precisely why the price of such animals is around €2000-€3000. An injured animal loses its capabilities and will follow the path of the slaughterhouse where the farmer can get a maximum of half the money paid for the animal,” he explains.
When it comes to introducing more ideas of slaughtering locally, he said, “I support the development of local economies and the shortening of the supply chain as much as possible, but this implies, first of all, the development of an adequate slaughterhouse network throughout the EU, and the Union will have to finance such structures!” he explains.
Keeping it real
Buda says it’s his responsibility to ensure that the legislative proposal “remains anchored in the on-the-ground reality” and wants to see “no negative impact on farmers”. It can’t be at “the expense of farmers, sacrificing their welfare and forcing them to give up the rearing of animals altogether in order to survive,” he said, explaining that an expense to farmers would hit the buyer’s pocket, too.
Some of the worst cases of animal suffering during transport can be witnessed at the borders leaving the EU, for example, the Bulgarian/Turkish border, as EU animals are exiting to third countries.
In the last few months, detrimental conditions have led to the premature deaths of heifers and newborn calves.
In September, cows from Germany were approved for travel but then stopped at the Turkish border at Kapıkule and prohibited from entering due to having originated from a blue tongue area. They could also not return to the EU. The 69 pregnant heifers were stuck on the trucks for over a month.
Truck of horrors
“Somehow, the EU considers animal health requirements higher than animal welfare requirements,” said Helena Bauer, Project Manager at Animals’ Angels.
As a result, the shipment had to be slaughtered, but before that happened, during the waiting ordeal, heifers gave birth, thirteen calves died, eight heifers died, two heifers could no longer stand, and the animals had to survive amongst carcases.
As shocking as that may seem, just after the horrific event, trucks from Poland and Romania were stranded at the same border, and several more animals died as a result.
Buda believes that “Regulation 1/2005, which is in force, is a good legislation that allows the European Union to boast with the highest welfare standards in the world. Unfortunately, the law is interpreted unevenly and is poorly implemented, as the European Parliament’s ANIT Committee of Inquiry found, as well as the Court of Auditors in 2023.”
And that the onus should be on all member states to be “responsible for the controls to ensure compliance with the legislation. I remind you that, for the first time in the history of the EU, we have a Commissioner for animal welfare who is responsible for solving such crises.”
He said it “is essential to strengthen prevention mechanisms, reduce bureaucracy and ensure the same animal welfare standards from the point of departure to the destination, whether it is in the EU or third countries. But at the same time, we must take into account the powers of the EU to legislate outside its borders.”
It’s doubtful that those stranded heifers felt the ‘powers of the EU’ or that they were enduring the ‘highest welfare standards in the world’ when they met with such suffering at the border. Something has to give, and it shouldn’t be the knees of innocent stranded cattle. Change is imperative.
The interview with Daniel Buda was conducted via email.
[Edited By Brian Maguire | Euractiv’s Advocacy Lab ]
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