EU livestock transport row worsens
Representing Ireland in its role as the current EU president, Agriculture Minister Joe Walsh said extreme positions maintained by delegations made it impossible to reach a balanced agreement which would continue the legitimate trade for live animal, whilst leading to an improvement in animal welfare standards.
"At the end of the day it wasn't possible to find common ground, mainly on the issues of transport journey and rest periods.
"A vast majority felt it wasn't possible to bridge the gap so I left the matter for another day," Minister Walsh told journalists after hours of fruitless negotiations on how to ensure better treatment of the 20 million live animals transported across Europe annually, without damaging the cattle and beef industry.
Last July EU Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner David Byrne proposed changes to the current system of 14 hours' transport, one hour rest, followed by 14 hours transport, and 24 hours' rest. Instead, nine hours' transport systematically followed by 12 hours of rest was proposed.
But in last Monday's Agriculture Council, the plan was judged insufficient by the countries most sensitive to animal welfare the UK, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. And it was seen as excessive by France, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece.
Minister Walsh said Northern Europe asked for an eight hour cap on transport time, and Mediterranean countries want no travel limits at all. "At the end of the day, it wasn't possible to find common ground," he said.
"A vast majority felt it wasn't possible to bridge the gap so I left the matter for another day."
He expressed disappointment that Ireland's compromise proposals, involving reduced journey time sequences, the introduction of satellite tracking system for transporters, and training for all personnel handling animals, did not obtain sufficient support.
Commissioner Byrne said: "I don't think the willingness was there. Neither side saw the benefits of the arguments of the other."
He also castigated the EU for failing to properly implement the existing rules. "The consumers of Europe are angry about animal welfare, because they see videos with animals being very badly treated," he said, adding that ill-treatment cases were a regular occurrence.
"It may be an issue of the upcoming EU election and I'm not happy about that. I am a very disappointed man this evening," Byrne said.
"The status quo is better than bad legislation," said Eurogroup for Animal Welfare Director Sonja Van Tichelen.
Brussels observers said live exports could now be off the agenda for the next year, with the next two countries due to hold the EU's presidency, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, unwilling to take on such a difficult negotiation.
