The European Parliament has approved a critical investigative report into abuses in livestock transport, especially concerning exports to countries outside the EU. The parliament believes that there should be a maximum transport time of 8 hours, effectively putting an end to such transports. The abuses have caused considerable uproar in recent years.
However, a majority in the European Parliament rejected three amendments (two from the Greens and one from the Party for the Animals) that aimed to further shorten or completely ban transport. The currently proposed restrictions only concern the transport of slaughter animals and only apply to road and air transport. The much-criticized transports involving dilapidated sea vessels are excluded.
Moreover, the plenary majority in Strasbourg weakened two recommendations from the investigative report regarding the transport of unweaned animals and pregnant animals.
There is, however, a call for new powers to act against transports using dilapidated vehicles, and EU countries must significantly improve enforcement and supervision. For some Members of the European Parliament, many of the 139 recommendations still go too far, while for others they do not go far enough. The committee chair Tilly Metz (The Greens, Luxembourg) defended the compromise reached. She pointed out that by banning transports longer than eight hours, EU countries effectively prevent about 80 percent of the controversial sea transports from Romanian ports.
Dutch PvdA MEP Mohammed Chahim responded by saying: “We all know the sad story of the hundreds of cows drifting at sea for months early last year. Needless animal suffering that could easily have been prevented with clear European regulations. I want ambitious laws that draw the line firmly. In animal transport, welfare must come first, not profit.”
MEP Anja Hazekamp (Party for the Animals), on the other hand, believes that far too many exceptions are still being permitted. “European countries flout the rules and no one takes action. The EU simply fails in its duty to care for animals. It is a disgrace and a missed opportunity that the European Parliament did not make stricter recommendations,” said Hazekamp, who therefore voted against the recommendations.
Bert-Jan Ruissen (SGP) abstained from voting. He believes that EU countries should first enforce and monitor the current stricter rules. Moreover, he wants laws and regulations to be based not on emotion or feelings but on scientific research results. The LTO had previously argued similarly. “Unfortunately, I must state that a scientific basis is lacking for a number of recommendations in the resolution, which is why I abstained from the final vote,” Ruissen said.