Document type Answer to question E-000213/2023 given by the European Commission
Authors: question: Thomas Waitz (Greens/EFA). Answer: Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission
Question: Animal welfare controls at EU exit points
Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005[1] and Regulation (EU) 2017/625[2] stipulate that an exit point is a border inspection post, or any other place designated by an EU Member State, through which animals leave the customs territory of the EU (see Article 2 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 and Article 3 of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 respectively).
When animals are presented at exit points, official veterinarians check that animals are transported in compliance with Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005, according to Regulation (EU) 2017/625 (see Article 21 of both regulations).
On 26 August 2022, Animals’ Angels reported that Danish piglets were being transported through Greece. They were transported to North Macedonia, via the Greek border at Evzoni. According to the list of the Greek border inspection posts published on the Commission’s website[3], Evzoni does not seem to be an exit point authorised for ungulates, such as cattle, pigs and sheep. No other list of exit points is available.
Is the border at Evzoni in Greece an authorised exit point for the transport of live animals falling under the scope of Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005, in particular of ungulates, from EU to non-EU countries?
Answer: The Commission is not in possession of the information referred to by the Honourable Member of the European Parliament as the designation of exit points falls within the remit of the relevant competent authorities.
There is currently no legal obligation for the Member States to communicate the list of exit points they have designated in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1/2005, nor for the Commission to make such list available to the public in accordance with that regulation.
In addition, in drawing up the lists of border control posts referred to in Article 60(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625, in accordance with the specifications set out in Annex II to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1014, there is no obligation for Member States to specify cases where a border control post acts as an exit point.
Nevertheless, the Commission will address this issue with the Greek competent authorities in the context of the regular communications held with Member States.
