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Animal welfare initiativesTransport, Slaughter, Pick-up

COVID-19: Transport of farm animals between Member States and to non-EU countries

By March 19th 2020February 26th, 2021No Comments

Document type : Letter to the European Commission sent by 37 NGOs

Preview: We are concerned that in its Guidelines for border management measures published on 16 March the Commission insists that the transport of livestock between Member States (MS) must continue despite the severe problems imposed during the COVID-19 emergency on the health and welfare of farm animals that are transported between MS and to non-EU countries. It is already clear that in many cases such transport cannot be carried out in a way that is compliant with (i) the below provisions of Council Regulation 1/2005 and (ii) Article 13, TFEU. […]

We urge the Commission and the Council to urgently:
- Suspend all exports by land and by sea of live farm animals to non-EU countries. There is a real risk that ships arriving in non-EU country ports will not be allowed to unload the animals as countries close their borders; this will lead to massive welfare problems. In addition, importing countries are even less likely than at present to be able to ensure that animals are slaughtered in accordance with the OIE standards on welfare at slaughter.
- Suspend all transport of live farm animals on journeys over 8 hours between MS as neither veterinarians nor the police will have time during the COVID-19 crisis to enforce compliance with Regulation 1/2005 and to address the problems referred to above.
- Until the trade is suspended, the Commission and the MS must ensure rapid communication between CVOs and MS National Contact Points so that livestock organisers can avoid problems such as border crossings with long queues or countries that will not admit livestock vehicles from certain MS.

This opinion was discussed in a news item on the Welfarm website,  a news item on the CIWF France website and a news item on the Eurogroup for animals website.

37 NGOs sign a letter to the European Commission and the Council of Europe
From a letter signed by 37 NGOs to the European Commission and the Council of Europe