In a working document for the European agriculture ministers, the Netherlands and four other EU countries argue for restrictions on the transport of livestock for slaughter. The countries of the so-called Vught working group (the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Denmark and Sweden) want a maximum transport time of 8 hours for all cattle for slaughter in the EU.
In doing so, the EU countries would join previous recommendations of the European Parliament's ANIT committee, which previously conducted an extensive investigation into abuses during animal transport. The position paper of the five countries will be discussed by the LNV ministers on Monday.
The working document attempts to bring the 27 EU countries to a single position, after which negotiations can be conducted with the European Parliament on the modernization of the more than twenty-year-old animal transport rules. It should be noted that since then animal transports have increased enormously both in number and size.
The core of the memorandum is that long-distance transports of cattle for slaughter within the EU and to countries outside the EU should be limited. Larger cages must also be provided, additional feeding must be given along the way if necessary, and driving is not allowed in very hot weather. Ideally, no live animals should be transported abroad for slaughter, but only batches of meat.
It must therefore be laid down that the time of loading and unloading also counts as transport time, that there must be video camera control during transshipment at loading and unloading stations, that trucks must be equipped with GPS control, that truck drivers receive separate training for animal transports. must have followed. The position paper of the five EU countries makes recommendations on dozens of practical cases.
Although the five initiators make many recommendations for more uniform rules in all EU countries, they have not found a solution for the major differences between the EU countries in the control and enforcement of animal transports.
What is condoned by inspectors in one country is punished in neighboring countries. This mainly causes problems with international transport. Texts from the partially outdated regulations are also open to multiple interpretations.
No definitive positions have yet been recommended or taken on a number of areas, but experts from the European Food Agency EFSA are being asked for further advice. The ministers therefore do not yet accept the recommendations and choices of the European Parliament.