No EU ban on multi-day livestock transport over long distances yet

Most EU countries reject a proposal from the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg to ban animal transport over long distances. The focus is mainly on livestock transport to Morocco, Turkey, Russia, the Middle East and Asia, but many countries in Southern and Eastern Europe are not in favor of such a ban.

However, during their two-day meeting in Luxembourg, the agriculture ministers agreed that EU countries should improve animal welfare during long transports, for example through more and stricter controls.

The three countries wanted a ban in the new transport regulation that is likely to come into effect in 2023. Both the long-distance transports to countries outside the EU by land and by sea are a thorn in the side of agriculture ministers Julia Klöckner (Germany), Carola Schouten (Netherlands) and Romain Schneider (Luxembourg).

Schouten previously informed the House of Representatives that an exception should be made for short sea transports across the Channel to and from the United Kingdom, because the same animal welfare rules apply there as in the EU. Longer transports from Ireland to ports in France and Spain could already become more problematic.

According to the three initiating countries, the trade in meat, carcasses and genetic material should be replaced by the transport of live animals. According to German minister Julia Klöckner, animal welfare should not stop at the EU borders. According to the minister, it is not possible to say with certainty that the animal welfare requirements are met for transport to countries further away.

With a ban on sea shipments, the EU would follow the example of New Zealand, which recently announced an overseas export ban. Animal rights activists and veterinarians have criticized the transports for years.

A recent survey showed that most livestock transport vessels approved by the EU belong to the category of high-risk vessels and are not suitable for the transport of livestock.