Document type: audit report from the European Commission DG(SANTE) 2022-7525
Author: DG SANTE
Preview: This report describes the outcome of an audit of Romania, carried out remotely from 3 to 5 May 2022 and on 28 November 2022, and on the spot from 15 to 16 November 2022 as part of the Directorate- General for 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. The system of official controls in animal welfare during sea transport has improved since the 2019 audit by the Commission. The authorities introduced new measures and procedure updates, but the intended assurances on animal welfare have not been fully achieved yet. The gaps lie in the implementation of controls on the authorisation of transporters and pre-loading checks of vessels. The current implementation of the system for authorising sea transporters by competent authorities is not effective. This means they cannot guarantee that sea transporters have adequate contingency plans to care for animals' needs in emergencies. On the positive side, the controls at the port have been successful in ensuring that only animals fit for the journey are loaded into the vessels. However, the official controls have not yet been fully effective in identifying and reporting all non-compliances consistently. While the pre-loading inspections do have a positive impact on animal welfare by identifying and addressing some non-compliances immediately, there are instances where certain issues go undetected and persist. This leads to ongoing risks for the animals during transport and raises concerns about potential loopholes in the inspection process and verification procedures. The involvement of qualified maritime inspectors can be beneficial for animal welfare on livestock vessels. However, their lack of empowerment with official control tasks reduces assurances of their independence and objectivity. One positive aspect is that competent authorities are investigating all notifications of non-compliance they receive. However, they generally do not take enforcement action in a timely manner. Consequently, they fail to prevent reoccurrences, and animals may continue to be transported in unsuitable conditions.
The report contains recommendations to the competent authority aimed at addressing the shortcomings identified concerning the authorisation of transporters, pre-loading inspections of livestock vessel and the timely enforcement of non-compliances notifications they receive.
