New EU animal transport rules include use of satellite navigation systems

NEW European Union rules on animal welfare in transport, which came into force yesterday, aim to reduce stress and harm to animals during land and sea journeys.

European Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said the new safeguards for animals include higher standards for vehicles and equipment and stricter requirements for those dealing with animals in transit.

“The regulation also provides for measures to ensure the better enforcement of EU rules in this area, such as the use of satellite navigation systems,” he said.

Under the new rules, new equipment in vehicles will ensure that their microclimate is better adapted for animals and stricter watering requirements are set out.

Special attention is paid to young and newborn animals, while females within one week of giving birth may not be transported at all.

Drivers and attendants of animals in transit will be subject to compulsory training, and from 2008 certified to care for the animals. The legislation extends and clarifies the chain of responsibility for animals to include not only transport operators but also traders, drivers and staff at each point of the journey.

As animals tend to experience stress when being loaded and unloaded from vehicles, better rules for their handling at these times are set out, as are requirements for loading and unloading facilities.

New vehicles used to transport animals over eight hours must now be equipped with a satellite navigation system, allowing for enforcement of EU rules on travel and rest times. Trucks already in use have until 2009 to install this equipment.

The regulation does not include measures on travelling times or stocking densities, as the commission’s original proposal had envisaged, due to the council’s failure to reach a compromise on this issue.

However, Mr Kyprianou said he is committed to bringing forward proposals on these two aspects before the end of 2009.