Cattle transport plan ‘unacceptable’
Munster Fianna Fáil MEP Gerard Collins said the proposals as they currently stood would adversely affect the export of live animals from Ireland to the rest of Europe and to third countries.
The Commission wants a system put in place where animals are kept in stationary trucks for 12 hours after nine hours travel.
It also wants to introduce a system where there will be lower stocking density in trucks that are used to transport live animals over longer distances.
Studies carried out had proven that there was no negative impact on animal welfare in cases of long distance travel once proper conditions been fully observed, Mr Collins said.
He added that some flexibility must be introduced when approaching this important and sensitive economic and political issue.
The export of live animals from Ireland involved the export of over 200,000 herds of cattle to Europe and over 70,000 herds of livestock to other third country markets.
Mr Collins said farmers who had no guaranteed income must be protected.
The EC must ensure that it brought forward measures that protected the Irish agricultural industry in general, which includes protecting the export of live animals to Europe and to Third World countries, he said.
