Animal Welfare during Transport

Animal Welfare during Transport

Impact of 1/2005 on welfare of animals The IBF consortium carried out the project “Study on the impact of Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport” on behalf of the EC, with the objectives of collecting and analyzing some of the data needed to compile the report mentioned in Article 32 of Regulation (EC) No 1/2005.

It is intended to provide detailed assessment of the implementation of the Regulation 1/2005, with special reference to: - the impact of Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 on animal welfare during transport, - the trade flows of live animals, - the implementation of the navigation system, - the socio-economic implications including the regional aspects.

Indicative time frame • The EFSA scientific evidence on welfare needs of animals (was published in January 2011) • The study results are expected on 13th March 2011 • The Commission will publish a report at the end of 2011, which will influence future action in the field on animal transport. - This does not mean that a new legislative proposal will follow the report. - For the time being, there is no new proposal in the pipeline (in case of a new proposal in 2013, no entry into force before 2017).

Meanwhile……. Intergroup (EP) on animal welfare requested for more rules for the transport of animals based on the findings of the EFSA report on animal transport. • EFSA recommends that, in order to reduce the risk of transport-associated disease outbreaks, strategies should be developed to reduce the volume of transport. • The Animal Welfare Intergroup endorses this recommendation but believes it should be applied to all animal transportation and not focused solely on disease prevention.

The UECBV requested to attend and to give presentations in the EP intergroup meeting of 29 September 2011 The aim of the presentations is to present to the members of the intergroup: •General view on AW by the SH (speaker: Nils Beaumond?) •The background on livestock transport and livestock markets evolution and the improvements made by the sector in the last years. Focus on how the livestock sector can improve further the welfare of animals in the future (speaker: Piet Thijsse, with input from Ray Doyle regarding Livestock markets) •AW in the slaughterhouses. How the sector prepares itself to comply with regulation 1099/2009/EC, e.g. guidelines in the different MS (speaker: to be decided by the UECBV meat industry committee experts)

Meanwhile…….

Netherlands: National rule for the transport of cattle • On 2nd February 2011, the Dutch Secretary of State decided that double-deck trucks loaded on both decks with cattle aged 1 year or older will no longer be permitted in the Netherlands as of April 1st 2011 (for the moment this only applies for slaughter animals)

Meanwhile……. Germany: on 22nd March 2011, the German Federal States plan to transpose into national law the Animal Transport Manual as a Federal Decree. Statement of grounds: (i) to ensure sufficient air circulation (respect of temperature limit values) in the lorry and (ii) to reduce the risk of injury. Considering that the Animal Transport Manual (version dated March 2010) stipulates that, in the case of bovine animals, there still should be 20cm room available above the highest point of the animal (head), twotier transportation of cattle would no longer be possible because of the maximum height limit (4m) for lorries set in the Highway Code and the Road Traffic Type Approval Law.