MEPs have today voted to tighten animal welfare laws to improve conditions during live transport, after an investigation by the internal Committee of Inquiry on the Protection of Animals (ANIT) found that not all of the 27 members states have been abiding by existing animal transportation laws.
The report revealed that some countries do not provide animals with sufficient food, water or headroom, and some are overcrowding animals onto unsuitable vehicles and exposing them to extremes of temperature that cause intolerable suffering.
The findings of the report were voted on by members of the committee, which approved a set of draft recommendations including installing CCTV cameras and temperature, humidity and ammonia recording devices on transport vehicles. It also urges national authorities to approve animal travel plans only if the forecasted temperature is between 5ºC and 30ºC. MEPs also request that the Commission determine journey time limits for all animal species of all ages. And, they urge for a ban on the transport of animals who are younger than 35 days old.
The Vegan Conservatives believe that the changes are the first step to a total ban on long-distance live transport in the EU.
