WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2048/97 by Gianni TAMINO to the Commission. Conditions for the transport of live animals
Date: 1997-06-13
Institutions: European Parliament, TAMINO
Subjects: Central and Eastern Europe, Italy, domestic animal, import, live animal, national law, offence, protection of animals, transport of animals, veterinary inspection

C 76/70

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

11. 3. 98

5.
The  environmental  impact  study  in  question  establishes  that  the  transformation  of  lindane  into
trichlorobenzene  constitutes  the  optimum  solution  to  the  problem  on  account,  in  particular,  of  the  following
factors: on the one hand, treatment on the spot avoids any risk of volatilization of the lindane and subsequent
contamination during transport, and on the other, the plant is a temporary installation and will be destroyed after
the processing of 4 500 tonnes of pure lindane.

(1)  OJ L 257, 10.10.1996.
(2)  OJ L 377, 31.12.1991.
(3)  OJ L 78, 26.3.1991.
(4)  OJ L 175, 5.7.1985.

(98/C 76/156)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2048/97

by Gianni Tamino (V) to the Commission

(13 June 1997)

Subject: Conditions for the transport of live animals

On 16 May 1997 a local veterinary official in Latisana (Udine) blocked for 48 hours a lorry-load of 50 Rottweiler
puppies  and  20  pedigree  kittens  crowded  into  four  containers  designed  to  hold  two.  The  lorry  (registration
EJR832), which had arrived from Hungary by means of the Gorizia crossing and was bound for SARL Francis
Duprat in Montespan, France, had no proper ventilation and had been closed for over 24 hours owing to engine
problems.  Having  established  that  the  animals,  which  were  in  a  disastrous  state  of  health,  had  been  taken
temporarily to the kennels in Porpetto (Udine) for appropriate treatment, the local anti-vivisection league, on the
basis of the data in its possession, asked for a check to be made on whether the carriers and those responsible for
the delivery had infringed national law (Law No 473 of 22 November 1993 on new rules against the maltreatment
of  animals,  amending  Article  727  of  the  Criminal  Code  and  Decree-Law  No  532  of  30  December  1992
implementing Directive 91/628/EEC (1) on the protection of animals during transport).

Twenty-four hours after the animals had been unloaded, given the availability of alternative means of transport,
another  local  veterinary  official  would  appear  to  have  granted  authorization  for  the  journey  to  be  continued,
without taking any action against those responsible.

What clarifications does the Commission intend to seek in connection with this matter, with particular regard to
the controls carried out on the lorry(cid:146)s arrival on EU territory at the Gorizia crossing?

What  action  does  it  intend  to  take  in  response  to  the  mounting  evidence  of  young  domestic  animals  being
imported  for  commercial  purposes  from  eastern  European  countries,  which  raises  serious  ethical  and  health
issues?

(1)  OJ L 340, 11.12.1991, p. 17.

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(17 July 1997)

Directive  91/628/EEC  on  the  protection  of  animals  during  transport,  amended  by  Directive  95/29/EEC (1),
includes rules for the transport of dogs and cats.

Article 11 states that the transporter must give a written undertaking to comply with the requirements of this
Directive (including the annex concerned) and must make arrangements to comply with these requirements. The
official veterinarian at the frontier post must check on compliance with these requirements as well as compliance
with feeding and watering requirements of the Directive.

The Commission will take contact with the Italian authorities on the matters raised by the Honourable Member,
especially  to  obtain  precise  information  as  to  what  happened  at  the  frontier  post  concerned  and  also  to  have
particulars of the actions taken to block the transport temporarily and subsequently to grant authorization for
continuing the journey.

(1)  OJ L 148, 30.6.1995.