A court in Munich has rejected the objections of the Bavarian Environment Ministry against a livestock transport of 31 pregnant heifers via Hungary to Kazakhstan.
In doing so, the court forces the official veterinarian to release the animal transport. The export license of the carrier has also been approved.
Kazakhstan is on a list of 18 'third countries' of which the environmental ministry in Bavaria, south of Germany, has serious doubts whether the animal welfare requirements will be met when exported.
According to the court, the booked 30-day quarantine of the transport in Hungary means that the transport is two separate processes. According to the current legal situation, it is therefore up to the authorities in Hungary to decide on further exports, the court finds.
In October, the Bavarian Ministry of the Environment issued a new order whereby exports to other EU countries can also be banned if the animals are transported from there to 'third countries' (= non-EU countries). This was also the reason for the refusal of the certificate for export to Hungary.
The negative list of the regional Bavarian ministry with 18 third countries is also incompatible with EU and German federal legislation, according to German livestock exporters. The additional hurdles set by the Bavarian Ministry of the Environment not only do nothing to improve animal welfare, but also cause economic damage to local businesses, says. the transport sector.
A spokesman for the agricultural sector also emphasizes that the sale of breeding animals makes an important contribution to maintaining small-scale agriculture and alpine agriculture in Bavaria. Neighboring countries such as Austria would be able to export their animals to 'third countries' without hindrance.