TRANSPORTS des ANIMAUX

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European rules on the protection of animals
during transport
A presentation by the European Commission
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• European consumers are increasingly concerned
  with the welfare conditions of farmed animals.

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• Thanks to the European Union, the rules which
  protect animals during transport are evolving.
• The first European directive was issued in 1977.

In December 2004 the European Union adopted a new
regulation that will apply from 5 January 2007.
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• The regulation only applies to animals being
  transported further than 50 km.

• It does not apply to transport for transhumance.

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1. The fitness of animals for transport
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• Are the animals on the lorry healthy enough to be
  transported?
• Are there ill or injured animals on board?

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Considered not fit for transportation

• Animals that are seriously ill or injured.

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• What is a seriously ill or injured animal?

• An animal unable to move independently without
  pain.
• An animal that presents a severe wound or
  prolapse.

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Considered not fit for transport

• Animals in the advanced stages of pregnancy, that
  risk giving birth during the transportation
  period.
• Animals that have given birth less than 48 hours
  previously.

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Considered not fit for transport

• New-born animals in which the navel is not
  completely healed.

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• If necessary, call the nearest veterinary
  practitioner to provide the care needed for ill
  or injured animals.

The veterinarian will decide if the animal should
be put down or slaughtered. If a veterinarian is
called by the authorities, the costs will be
borne by the transporter.
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• The animal may be taken to the nearest
  slaughterhouse if no additional suffering is
  involved.

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• Cows in milk shall be milked at intervals of
  about 12 hours but not exceeding 15 hours.

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2. Conformity of vehicles
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A) Journeys of less than 8 hours

• There must be sufficient space between the
  animals heads and the level above.

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• Animals must not be able to escape.
• Vehicles must be designed so as to avoid injury
  and unnecessary suffering.

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• The floor must be covered with appropriate
  bedding, or equipped with a system that allows
  the absorption of droppings.

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• Bridges, ramps and gangways must be used to load
  and unload the animals.

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• Vehicles must be constructed and operated so as
  to protect animals against inclement weather and
  marked differences in climatic conditions.

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• Animals cannot therefore be transported between
  the axles of the vehicle.

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• After 8 hours, it must be possible to water, feed
  and, if necessary, unload the animals before they
  reach their destination.

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B) Journeys exceeding 8 hours

• There must be appropriate bedding.
• Lorries must carry sufficient quantities of feed
  for the animals.

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The vehicle must be equipped with a ventilation
system that can be used whether the lorry is
stationary or moving.
Make sure that the ventilation system is working
properly before departure.
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In the absence of mechanical ventilation, the
vehicle must be capable of maintaining a
temperature situated between 5 and 30 C.To do
this it must be equipped with an appropriate
monitoring device.
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• Removable partitions should be in place, allowing
  animals to be sorted by type and size, and into
  reasonable numbers.

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• Direct access to the animals should be possible
  at all times, so that they can be inspected and
  given all appropriate care.

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• The lorry must be equipped with a system for
  watering the animals, appropriate to the type of
  animals being transported.
• The watering system must have a capacity
  sufficient for the needs of all the animals.
• The vehicle must be equipped for connection to a
  water supply during stops.

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What are their watering needs?

• An adult cow 40 litres of water a day
• A cow in milk 180 litres of water a day

• A horse in a stable 36 litres of water a day

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Watering systems

• Pigs use nipples that contain a lever.

Pigs may also use bowls, but these must be placed
at their level.
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• Calves must have nipples that they can suck.

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• Horses must be watered using removable troughs
  appropriate to their needs.

Make sure that the vehicle is fitted with troughs
of this type.
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Check that the water supply system is working by

• Pressing the nipples or the lever on the water
  bowls in the four corners of the lorry
• Making sure that there are removable water
  troughs on board the vehicle

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3. Watering and feeding intervals and resting
periods
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• If the vehicle has been modified to equip it for
  long journeys, animals may travel for a period
  exceeding eight hours, providing the following
  times for watering, feeding and rest are observed

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• Unweaned animals (calves, lambs)

1st phase of transport 9 hours maximum
A minimum of 1 hours rest with watering
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• Unweaned animals (calves, lambs)

2nd phase of transport 9 hours maximum
Animals must be unloaded, watered, fed, and
rested for at least 24 hours
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• Pigs

Maximum transport period of 24 hours
24 hours rest, continuous access to water at all
times
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• Domestic Equidae

Maximum transport period of 24 hours
A break every 8 hours with watering and, if
necessary, feeding
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• Domestic Equidae

After travelling for 24 hours
The animals must be unloaded, watered, fed, and
rested for 24 hours
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• Bovines, ovines (sheep) and caprines (goats)

1st phase of transport 14 hours maximum
At least 1 hours rest with watering
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• Bovines, ovines (sheep) and caprines (goats)

2nd phase of transport 14 hours maximum
The animals must be unloaded, watered, fed, and
rested for 24 hours
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• Poultry, domestic birds and domestic rabbits

For journeys lasting more than 12 hours, access
to food and water is obligatory.
This does not apply to chicks being transported
for less than 24 hours, providing the journey
ends less than 72 hours after hatching.
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What should the police or the authorities do if
the animals have not been adequately watered or
fed, or have not had their rest period?

• Escort the lorry to a service station
• Escort the lorry to an authorised rest area
• Contact the local veterinary authorities

If there is no staging point near the vehicle,
the police should contact the local veterinary
authorities, who will try to find another
suitable unloading point.
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4. Loading densities and transport conditions
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• The European Regulation lays down maximum loading
  densities for most types of farmed animals,
  according to the means of transport (road, sea,
  air, rail) and the animals average weight.

The lorry can also be weighed to see if it is
overloaded
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• To check the density, the following must be
  known
• The surface area available for the animals in m2
  A
• The number of animals N
• The weight of the load in kg L

A lorry contains 35 bovine animals (N) and the
weight of the load is 12 560 kg (L). The animals
are loaded on a surface area of 24 m2(A).
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Surface per animal Y 24 m2 / 35 0.686
m2 Average weight per animal W 12 560 kg /35
359 kg
The minimum surface area required by the
Regulation for a bovine of 325 kg is 0.95 m2
THE LORRY IS OVERLOADED
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• All pigs must be able to lie down and stand up in
  their natural position

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What happens if the loading density is not
respected?

• The driver is liable to a fine.
• The authorities will decide if the animals
• should be unloaded near the check point
• can continue on their journey immediately
• should return to their point of departure.

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Transport conditions

• To prevent overcrowding, fighting and stress,
  animals should normally be separated according to
  species, sex and size.

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Transport conditions

• Adult animals should be separated from young
  animals, except for females travelling with their
  young.

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Transport conditions

• Adult males must be separated from females.
• Adult boars must be separated from each other,
  and stallions must also travel separately.

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Transport conditions

• Animals must be able to stand up in their
  natural position and have enough room to lie
  down.

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Transport conditions

• If animals are tied, they must be able to feed
  themselves, lie down and drink. Animals must not
  be tied by the horns or the nose rings.

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Transport conditions

• Equidae transported in groups must have their
  hind hoofs unshod.

• Equidae must not be transported on the upper
  decks of multi-deck vehicles.

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5. Documents accompanying the animals
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• Companies that transport live animals must be
  authorised by a Member State. Each Member State
  has a competent authority responsible for issuing
  such authorisation.

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If animals are to be transported for more than
8 hours, and if a border is to be crossed on
the journey, they must be accompanied by a route
plan.
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Driver training

• Transporters must ensure that their drivers
  have undergone specific training or that they
  have equivalent practical experience enabling
  them to handle the animals they are transporting
  and provide any necessary care.

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Penalties
All Member States have put in place
administrative and criminal penalties to be used
in the event of infringements of the legislation
on the protection of animals during
transport. Transporters risk having their
authorisation withdrawn.
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Thank you for your attention and your efforts to
help animals
Photographs courtesy of CIWF and Animals Angels