WRITTEN QUESTION E-2149/98

by Honor Funk (PPE) to the Commission

(13 July 1998)

Subject: Transport of live animals

The chairman of the animal protection society has claimed that the EU has done nothing to alleviate suffering in the transport of live animals.

1. Is it true that every day animals for slaughter are transported long distances under cruel conditions to third countries, where there are no checks on whether EU criteria are satisfied?

2. Can the Commission indicate whether animals being transported long distances are now cared for appreciably better than was the case when evidence of cruel practices was documented on film?

3. Is the transport of meat supported with higher subsidies than the transport of live animals?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(22 September 1998)

Council directives on the protection of animals during transport have existed since 1977. The latest comprehensive update took place with the adoption of Council Directive 95/29/EC of 29 June 1995 amending Directive 90/628/EEC concerning the protection of animals during transport(1).

Council Regulation (EC) 411/98 of 16 February 1998 on additional animal protection standards applicable to road vehicles used for the carriage of livestock on journeys exceeding eight hours(2); and Commission Regulation (EC) 615/98 of 18 March 1998 laying down specific detailed rules of application for the export refund arrangements as regards the welfare of live bovine animals during transport(3) provide for better implementation of the current Directive and further proposals are in course of preparation. Although implementation of the relevant texts by the Member States has not always been uniformly satisfactory, the Commission takes the view that a substantial improvement of the welfare of protected animals has been achieved.

The Community can not legislate directly with regard to the welfare conditions of livestock transported beyond the territory of the Community. However, in order to increase the degree of protection to cattle transported to third countries, at the end of last year the Council adopted a proposal from the Commission, under which the payment of export refunds will be subject to compliance with the provisions on the protection of animals during transport (Regulation (EC) 2634/97(4)). Implementing rules have since been adopted by the Commission in March 1998 (Regulation (EC) 615/98(5)). Important elements are that each consignment of cattle will be checked when leaving the Community by the authority of the Member State of exit. Furthermore, checks will be carried out at arrival in the third country when there are grounds for suspecting breaches of the rules and on consignments of cattle selected by the exporting Member State on the basis of risk analysis. These rules will apply from 1 September 1998. The Commission is confident that for the future the new rules will achieve a substantial improvement in the transport of exported Community livestock.

Export refunds for beef and live animals are fixed at least every three months and published in the Official journal. The export refund paid on beef is differentiated. The rate of refund varies according to destination. The present refund level paid for live animals other than pure-bred breeding animals to the destinations with the highest refunds are ECU 52 per 100 kilograms live weight for male cattle and ECU 22,5 per 100 kilograms live weight for female cattle, while for fresh meat of male adult bovine animals the refund rate is ECU 110,5 per 100 kilograms carcase weight.

(1) OJ L 148, 30.6.1995.

(2) OJ L 52, 21.2.1998.

(3) OJ L 82, 19.3.1998.

(4) OJ L 356, 31.12.1997.

(5) OJ L 82, 19.3.1998.