Proposal for a Council Decision concerning additional standards for road vehicles used for carriage of livestock on journeys exceeding a duration of eight hours
Date: 1997-06-04
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: commercial vehicle, driving period, health legislation, protection of animals, transport of animals

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels,  04.06.1997 
COM(97) 272 final 

Proposal  for  a 

COUNCIL  DECISION 

concerning  additional standards for road vehicles 

used for carriage of livestock on journeys exceeding a duration of eight hours 

(presented  by  the  Commission) 

EXPLANATORY  MEMORANDUM 

Community rules on the protection of animals during transport are contained in Council Directive 
91/628/EEC1.  This Directive has  been modified by Directive 95/29/EC2. 

Article  13(1) requires that the Commission shall establish proposals to the Council for the fixing 

of standards with which means of transport must comply. 

General standards for  motor vehicles  and their trailers intended for the transport of certain types 

of animals  have been  proposed by the Commission (COM (97)  PE/97/765). 

Additional  standards must be laid down for road vehicles used  for  carriage of farm  animals on 

journeys  exceeding a duration  of  8 hours of travelling,  as referred  to  in  Chapter  VII (3) of the 

Annex of the above mentioned Directive. 

The  transport  of  animals  (inclusive  of  the  additional  standards  for  road  vehicles  used  for  the 

carriage of livestock  on journeys  exceeding a  duration of  8 hours)  is an exclusive  Community 

competence.  The proposed Council Decision, which is an applicatory rule of the basic Directive 

on  the  protection  of  animals  during  transport,  is  the  simplest  means  of  achieving  the  desired 

objective. 

In the view of the Commission, the provisions of the WTO Agreements preclude the application 

of these standards to vehicles coming from third countries. 

1O . J.  No.  LO  3 4 0,  1 1 . 1 2 . 1 9 9 1,  p.  17 

2O . J.  No.  L  1 4 8,  3 0 . 0 6 . 1 9 9 5,  p.  52 

£ 

Council Decision 

of 

concerning  additional standards for road vehicles 

used for carriage of livestock on journeys exceeding a duration of eight hours 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having regard to Council Directive 91/628/EEC on the protection of animals during transport(l), 

and in particular Article 13(1) thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal of the Commission (2), 

Whereas  it  is  necessary  when  domestic  solipeds  and  domestic  animals  of  the  bovine,  ovine, 

caprine  and  porcine species  are transported  on journeys  lasting more than  8 hours to  lay  down 

additional standards for the means of transport used; 

Whereas the majority of transport operations of animals of the species concerned involve the use 

of road  vehicles;  whereas  it is therefore  appropriate to  lay down the additional  standards  with 

which  road  vehicles  must  comply  in  order  to  be  used  for  carriage  of  animals  of  the  species 

concerned on journeys exceeding eight hours duration; 

( 1 ) 

O.J. No. L 340, 11.12.1991, p. 17 Directive last amended by Directive 95/29/EC (O.J. No. 

L 148, 30.06.1995, p. 52) 

(2) 

O.J. No. L 

3 

Whereas for the type of transport operations referred  to in this decision, the additional  standards 

laid  down  enlarge upon  the additional requirements  set out in chapter  VII  (3) of  the  Annex to 

Directive 91/628/EEC; 

Whereas to ensure the welfare of the animals concerned, the additional  standards must lay down 

specific obligations with regard notably to access on the vehicle, adequate ventilation, separation 

of animals by moveable partition and detailed arrangements concerning water supply; 

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 

Article 1 

Road vehicles used for the carriage of domestic solipeds and animals of the bovine, ovine, caprine 

and porcine species on journeys within the Community exceeding eight hours shall comply with 

the additional standards laid down in the Annex to this Decision. 

Article 2 

This Decision shall apply from  1 January 1998 

Article 3 

This Decision is addressed to the Member States. 

Done at Brussels 

For the Council 

4 

Additional standards for road vehicles used for carriage of livestock on journeys exceeding eight 

ANNEX 

hours. 

1. 

Bedding 

1.1 

Animals  shall  be  provided  with  appropriate  removable  bedding  material  which 

provides both comfort and adequate absorption and dispersal of urine and dung. 

2. 

Feed 

2.1 

The  vehicle  shall  carry  sufficient  feeding  stuff  of  a  suitable  type  to  meet  the 

requirements  for  feeding  during  the journey  of  the  species  and  categories  of 

animals being  carried.  The feeding  stuff  shall  during the journey  be  protected 

from  the weather and from  contaminants such as dirt, dust, fuel,  animal urine and 

dung.  The equipment necessary  for  mixing any foodstuffs  given to  animals in 

liquid form must be carried and should be adequate for the purpose and kept clean 

before and after use.  Adequate clean water or other appropriate liquid for mixing 

liquid feeding stuffs must be carried. 

2.2 

Troughs or recepticles shall be used for feeding animals on a vehicle.  The number 

and  design  of  such  items of  feeding  equipment  carried  on  the vehicle  shall  be 

adequate  to  serve  the  feeding  needs  of  the  number,  species  and  categories  of 

animals being transported.  The feeding  equipment should be so designed that it 

can  be  attached  to  a fixed  part  of  the  vehicle  whilst  in  use  so  as  to  avoid  the 

possibility of being overturned by movements of the animals.  Movable feeding 

equipment should be kept in a part of the vehicle separate from  the animals when 

not in use.  Such movable equipment shall be removed from  animal compartments 

when the vehicle is moving. 

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3. 

Access 

3.1 

Each separate compartment of the transport unit shall have either an outside door 

or hatch, or an aisle, corridor or some other free  floor  space such  as unoccupied 

compartment  space  inside the vehicle so as to  enable the staff  in  charge  of  the 

transport to give the animals the care they need during the transport. 

4. 

Ventilation 

4.1 

The vehicle shall have adequate ventilation which may be adjusted  depending on 

the temperature (inside and outside). 

4.1.1  The  vehicle  shall  have  ventilation  equipment,  having  a  capacity  to  replace  a 
minimum  of  150m3 of air per hour per m2 floor  surface  throughout  the vehicle 

whether or not the vehicle is in motion. 

Such equipment shall be maintained in good working order and shall be operated 

while  livestock remain on the vehicle at all times when the rate of air replacement 

resulting from  the movement of the vehicle falls below that laid down in the first 

subparagraph.  Use of the vehicle's ventilation  equipment  shall not,  however,  be 

necessary when it has stopped at a place where constant ventilation of equivalent 

capacity is provided by external equipment. 

4.1.2  The  operation of ventilation equipment shall be independent of the engine of the 

vehicle. 

4.2 

The  temperature  in  each  compartment  and  the  outside  temperature  shall  be 

monitored and the results displayed in the drivers cabin. 

C 

5. 

Partitions 

5.1 

The vehicle shall be fitted with partitions  for creating separate compartments. 

5.1.1  The  partitions  shall  be  constructed  in  such  a  way  that  they  can  be  placed  in 

different  positions  so  that  the  size  of  the  compartment  can  be  adapted  to  the 

special needs, type, size and number of the animals. 

6. 

Water supply 

6.1 

The vehicle shall be equipped for connection to a water supply during stops. 

6.1.1  The vehicle shall be equipped with drinking devices fitted  inside the vehicle e.g. 

troughs, bowls or nipples in order to water the animals on board of the vehicle. 

6.2 

In  the  case  of  vehicles  transporting  pigs,  sufficient  water  shall  be  carried  for 

watering during the journey. 

6.2.1  The vehicle transporting pigs must be equipped with  water tank(s)  with a total 

capacity of at least 200 litres and which is(are) connected to the drinking devices 

inside the compartments. 

6.2.2  During  the  journey  the  pigs  must  have  continuous  access  to  drinking  water, 

supplied by  devices allowing them to drink at all times. 

6.2.3  An  adequate  number  of  drinking  devices  shall  be fitted 

to  the walls  of  each 

separate compartment in such a way as to allow each pig ready access to water. 

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ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(97) 272 final 

DOCUMENTS 

EN 

03  07 

Catalogue number  :  CB-C0-97-258-EN-C 

ISBN 92-78-20725-X 

Office  for Official  Publications of the European Communities 

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