Document type: legislative proposal from the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE), European Commission
Author: DG SANTE, European Commission
Preview: This revision seeks to contribute to sustainable agricultural and food production by ensuring a higher level of animal welfare, and avoiding distortions on the internal market, thereby contributing to a shift towards an economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable food system, as set out in the Farm to Fork strategy. For this reason, this proposal introduces measures which favour slaughter of animals locally, thus replacing transport of live animals with transport of carcasses and meat. In doing so, these measures will help strengthening the principle of short supply chains while protecting animals by preventing long transports to slaughter. Transports for purposes other than slaughter should be limited as well with an intention to eventually have them replaced as much as possible with transports of embryos, semen and similar which are much more efficient in terms of the numbers of animals transported, as well as environmentally friendly and creating less expenses.
The general objectives of the proposal are to: - contribute to sustainable agricultural and food production; - ensure a higher level of animal welfare; - bring animal welfare requirements closer to the latest scientific evidence; - address societal demands; - make rules easier to enforce (including through digitalisation); - ensure a smooth functioning of the internal market, both for farmed animals and for animals transported for other economic purposes. More specifically, this revision's specific objectives are, among others, to: - reduce animal welfare problems linked to long journeys and repetitive unloading and re-loading linked to several rest periods; - ensure that animals have more space when transported; - improve the conditions of transport of vulnerable animals; - avoid exposing animals to extreme temperatures; - facilitate enforcement of EU rules on the protection of animals, including through digitalisation; - better protect animals exported to non-EU countries; - better protect cats and dogs transported in connection with an economic activity. This legislative proposal is adopted at the same time as a legislative proposal on the welfare of dogs and cats and their traceability. The two proposals are coherent with each other.
Download the law proposal (in French)
Downloadtheinfographic on the proposed law (in English)
Download appendices to the proposed law (in French)
The proposed law has received much media attention, including:
- Copa-Cogeca press release of December 7, 2023: Statement - New animal transport rules
- CIWF France press release of December 7, 2023: Législation européenne: la proposition "transport" est insuffisante
- News item on the Fondation Brigitte Bardot website of December 7, 2023: Transport des animaux: La Commission européenne propose une révision timide et décevante
