WRITTEN QUESTION E-3781/97 by Reimer Böge (PPE), Lutz Goepel (PPE), Agnes Schierhuber (PPE), Honor Funk (PPE), Christa Klaß (PPE), Hedwig Keppelhoff-Wiechert (PPE) and Xaver Mayer (PPE) to the Commission (21 November 1997)

Subject: Directive 91/628/EEC on the protection of animals during transport, hygiene problems in connection with the use of staging points for breeding animals

The veterinary and health requirements governing the transport of breeding animals are quite rightly much stricter than those relating to the transport of slaughter animals. Nevertheless, the feeding and staging points must be used by both breeding and slaughter animals in the same way.

On the basis of Directive 95/29/EC ((OJ L 148, 30.6.1995, p. 52.)) amending Directive 91/628/EEC ((OJ L 340, 11.12.1991, p. 17.)), the Commission has put forward Community criteria 'to be met by staging points with regard to the reception structure, feeding, watering, loading, unloading and where necessary housing of certain types of animal as well as the health requirements applicable to such staging points' (amended wording of Article 13(2) of Directive 91/628/EEC). By means of Regulation 1255/97 of 25 June 1997 the Council approved these implementing provisions, but adopted an additional statement drawing attention to the health problems in connection with breeding animals.

Can the Commission state:

1. whether the health requirements are sufficient to ensure that there is no danger whatsoever of diseases being transmitted from slaughter to breeding animals during periods spent in the feeding and staging points?

2. whether the implementing provisions for Directive 91/628/EEC also take account of the fact that during the transport of animals it is not so much the journey itself, but rather the unloading and loading at the staging points, which exposes the animals to increased stress?

3. what arrangements already exist, or whether the Commission is considering their introduction, whereby the transport vehicles could be equipped with watering or, possibly, feeding equipment - taking full account of the rules governing the protection of animals during transport and the restrictions on the length of journeys - in order to keep the additional unloading and loading at the feeding and staging points to a minimum? In this way, the problems raised in the preceding questions could at least be reduced.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission (3 February 1998)

1. Community criteria to be met by staging points have been defined in Council Regulation (EC) No 1255/97 ((OJ L 174, 2.7.1997. )). This text, following the principles of previous Community legislation in the area of the welfare of transported animals, did not differentiate between breeding animals and those transported for other purposes. The hygiene requirements for staging points are set at a high level in order to prevent spreading of disease. There is also nothing in the legislation which would prevent operators from establishing staging points which only received certain categories of animals.

2. The Commission is fully aware that, during loading and unloading, animals can suffer stress. However, stress and physical discomfort are also caused by leaving closely packed livestock on a stationary lorry. It is also difficult to feed and water the animals on a lorry, and impossible to replace soiled bedding material.

In respect of pigs only, following a request from the Council, the Commission is preparing a proposal for a Council decision which would allow operators transporting these animals, in particularly welfare-friendly conditions, the option of allowing them to remain on the lorry at a staging point.

3. Under provisions introduced by Directive 95/29/CE of 29 June 1995 amending Directive 90/628/EEC concerning the protection of animals during transport, journey times in basic vehicles shall not exceed eight hours. The text makes provisions for transport in up-graded vehicles, for periods depending on the species and age of the animals, of up to 28 hours. This text does not provide any derogation from the requirement for unloading once the applicable maximum period has been reached. The Commission has already proposed to the Council detailed standards for the up-graded lorries.