Legislation
Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 defines the responsibilities of all actors, involved in the transport chain of live animals entering or leaving the EU. This includes monitoring tools, inspections and means of transport.
Under this Regulation, EU countries were required to submit to the Commission an annual report on the non-discriminatory inspections together with an analysis of the major deficiencies. In order to reduce the administrative burden on EU countries, the Commission adapted the rules. First, with the Commission Implementing Decision 2013/188/EU which harmonised the model form for the annual reports. Click here to access these reports (2007-2018). Second, in 2017, with Regulation (EU) 2017/625 on Official Controls. Competent authorities of Member States now have to carry out official controls based on a Multi Annual National Control Plan (MANCP).
In May 2020, the Commission announced in the Farm to Fork Strategy that it will, by the end of 2023, revise the animal welfare legislation to align it with the latest scientific evidence. This includes the Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport.
The Commission has recently adopted tertiary legislation, namely an implementing act and a delegated act, intended to facilitate the inspections and official controls on livestock vessels. The ultimate goal of these two acts, which work as a package, is to improve the welfare of live animals while transported by sea.
The basic act for the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/372 is Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005. The implementing act provides, among others, for an electronic database where Member States must record the results of inspections performed on livestock vessels. It also requires an official veterinarian to be on board a livestock vessel during its first journey to make sure the equipment is in good working order. Seaports must also have a control post in their vicinity to facilitate resting of animals should this be necessary.
The basic act for the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/842 is Regulation (EU) 2017/625. This act further specifies current rules on official controls on livestock vessels, such as documentary checks, inspections performed by both veterinarians and maritime engineers, and checks on contingency plans, among others.
In 2015, the European Commission launched a three-year Pilot Project aiming at improving animal welfare during transport by developing and disseminating Guides to Good and Best Practice for the transport of the main livestock species.
In September 2017, the contractor of the project published on the Project websitefive extensive guides to good practices (in English), 17 technical fact sheets focusing on the most practical information (available in eight EU languages) and five videos (one per species, available in eight languages).
This publication was followed by a road show in eight Member States and presenting the guidelines to the professionals concerned (transporters, drivers, farmers, official veterinarians, etc.).
Have a look at the Leaflet for drivers, on the EU rules on animal welfare during transport (available in BG, CZ, DE, FR, EN, HU and PL languages)!
In October 2017, the Commission concluded a study on the "Welfare of farmed fish: Common practices during transport and at slaughter".
Related links
- Brexit: Notice to stakeholders withdrawal of the United Kingdom and EU rules for the transport of live animals
- List of approved control posts
- EFSA scientific opinions on animal welfare during transport
- Audit inspection reports
- Inspection reports from EU countries - 2007-2018
- Committee of Inquiry on the Protection of Animals during Transport
- Report on protection of animals during transport
- Community standards on staging points (summaries of EU legislation)
- Animal welfare during transport (summaries of EU legislation)