The four carriers have twelve months to reorganize their transports. Afterwards, a penalty of 3,000 euros per transport may be imposed. For subsequent violations, the amount can increase up to a maximum of 27,000 euros.
The inspection service of the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority is imposing a penalty order on the four companies. The measure targets the transport of unweaned calves from Ireland by ship to France and then by road to the Netherlands.
Major destination
The Netherlands is an important destination for Irish calves. The young animals come from Irish dairy farming and are brought to the Netherlands for veal production. Animal welfare organizations warn that prolonged lack of food can harm the young animals.
Promotion
Irish and British ferry services are also under pressure. Brittany Ferries has decided to stop transporting live farm animals from Ireland to France. The Dutch veal sector aims to end the import of Irish calves by 2028 at the latest.
Maximum 12 hours
A key legal issue for the Netherlands is that much of the journey takes place outside Dutch territory. Therefore, the inspection service cannot easily ban the international transport on its own and is seeking ways to act within European regulations.
These are very young calves still dependent on milk. During the approximately nineteen-hour sea crossing between Ireland and France, they receive no milk. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) advises that no more than twelve hours should pass between two milk feedings.
Feeding
According to the Dutch inspection service, the young animals suffer unnecessarily because they are not fed in time during the long journey. According to the NVWA, feeding en route is difficult to carry out. The young animals cannot yet drink independently and must be assisted individually. As a result, even a truck with a feeding system does not automatically provide a solution for transport involving many calves.
The regulator therefore wants to enforce its control across the entire transport operation from Ireland to the Netherlands. The NVWA previously tried to impose a transport ban in the Netherlands, but according to the regulator, there was no legal basis for this.
Furthermore, Ireland and Dutch regulators disagree about the European regulations. Irish authorities and carriers argue that the export is legal and regulated.