Document type: DG SANTE audit report 2022-7523 of the European Commission
Author: DG SANTE
Preview: This report describes the outcome of an audit of Portugal, carried out remotely from 14 to 16 March 2022 and on 4 July 2022, and on the spot from 20 to 21 June 2022 as part of the Directorate-Generalfor Health and Food Safety work programme.
The objective of the audit was to evaluate the suitability and effectiveness of the measures in place to prevent injury or undue suffering to animals (cattle, sheep and goats) during transport by livestock vessel to non-EU countries.
Overall, Portugal has a very good system in place which provides adequate guarantees that official controls on sea transporters and on livestock vessels prior to loading are suitable and effective to minimize the risk of injury or undue suffering to animals during transport by livestock vessel to non-EU countries.
Documented procedures are appropriate and detailed, and include many good practices for ensuring the proper implementation of animal welfare requirements. In addition to supporting official controls, they also act as guidance for business operators to comply with requirements and minimize risks to animal welfare during the journey and operations at the port of exit.
The central competent authority has identified the roles and responsibilities of journey organisers and sea transporters as critical for ensuring animal welfare during transport by sea. The open and transparent communication with these operators favours the proper understanding oftherequirements. This, together with the checks to ensure appropriate contingency plans, providesadditional assurances that animals are protected in case of emergencies during transport by sea.
The competent authorities have put in place several measures to avoid lengthy waiting times at the port, facilitating operations to run smoothly and removing pressure on official veterinariansinspecting the vessels. These are complemented by controls at the port to ensure that animals are properly handled and are fit to continue the journey.
The inspections on livestock vessels are an efficient tool to minimize animal welfare problems during the journey. This is due to the competence of official veterinarians inspecting livestock vessels - supported by the maritime authorities and independent maritime surveyors - the completeness of the checks and the appropriate time dedicated to the task.
Portugal performs detailed controls over transporters and vessels authorised/approved by other Member States and operating for the first time from its territory. This ensures that they provide thesame animal welfare assurances as transporters and vessels authorised/approved by the Portuguese competent authorities.
The competent authorities take effective, proportionate and dissuasive enforcement measures when non-compliances are detected, including actions to prevent the transport of animals in conditions that do not meet the required animal welfare standards. This favours the elimination of non-compliances and contributes to the continuous improvement of transport conditions.
