With 605 out of 689 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in favour the EU Parliament approved the formation of a Committee of Inquiry to look into the implementation and enforcement of the Council Regulation 1/2005 (Transport Regulation) across the EU and beyond. This is good news for the millions of animals that every year are transported alive in critical conditions, as revealed by more than 200 investigations since 2007. Also the EU Commission, that in the past three years conducted several audits on animal welfare during transport, revealed major animal welfare problems and low levels of compliance. 

The call for this Committee of Inquiry on live transport came from 183 MEPs who were renewing the request already made in 2018.  At that time, the Conference of Presidents concluded that an Implementation Report was more appropriate to deal with this matter than a Committee of Inquiry. Voted for by the EU Parliament in February 2019, that Report highlighted key issues to be addressed and, among others issues, it recommended the EU Parliament to establish a Committee of Inquiry on the welfare of animals during transport for a more in-depth analysis. 

Today with its favorable vote, the Plenary agreed on the setting up of such a committee to assess the major barriers currently impeding the enforcement of the Transport Regulation, as well as examining the responsibilities of the EU Commission and the EU and Member States in enforcing and implementing the rules. 

“Since its foundation, Eurogroup for Animals has been working on live transport with the EU institutions and stakeholders across the EU, and today we welcome this Parliamentary decision - says Reineke Hameleers, CEO of Eurogroup for Animals. This Committee will conduct a long overdue in-depth investigation into the system and it will contribute to making the new Transport Regulation an effective tool to protect the welfare of the animals transported within and outside the EU ”.

Indeed, such a Committee will also be instrumental in the framework of the revision of the Transport Regulation - announced in May by the EU Commission - by highlighting shortcomings of the current legislative framework that should be addressed by a revision. 

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Contact

Francesca Porta
Farm Animals Programme Officer
f.porta@eurogroupforanimals.org