A delegation of nine members of the European Parliament conducted an official visit to the Bulgarian-Turkish border crossing Kapitan Andreevo. Each year, tens of thousands of animals are transported from EU countries to non-EU countries at this location, with frequent instances of non-compliance with EU animal welfare regulations.
The MEPs from the ANIT animal transport committee met with deputy ministers of Agriculture, officials, and Bulgarian veterinary experts, and visited the border crossing and agricultural facilities. On site, they also spoke with veterinarians and truck drivers involved in livestock transport.
Annually, between 150,000 and 250,000 animals leave the European Union by crossing the Bulgarian border into Turkey and are then transported further east. The delegation was surprised to learn of a slight decrease in the number of animals crossing in recent years, which may be linked to an increase in sea exports from other European locations.
Transport durations are often too long, the animals are sometimes too young to travel safely, there are occasional shortages of sufficient water or food, and issues with heat stress arise due to high temperatures during the summer months.
The delegation was also informed that the available rest facilities for livestock are not systematically utilized.
The massive flow of live animals through the Bulgarian-Turkish border is a problem that Bulgarian authorities cannot solve alone, especially since most of the livestock does not even originate from Bulgarian farms.
The ANIT investigative committee was established in June 2020 to examine violations of animal welfare during livestock transport. It focuses primarily on the compliance by EU countries with EU regulations and their enforcement by the European Commission.