Strasbourg (France) December 12, 2012. - In plenary session, MEPs have backed, by a large majority, a report on better transport conditions for animals. The report supports the Written Declaration that asks for restricting the time taken to transport animals for slaughter to a maximum of eight hours which was voted by a majority in the European Parliament (EP) in March 2012. Nonetheless exceptions are allowed in the case of slaughterhouses located in remote areas. MEPs call for the EU to help to create short and transparent food supply chains and to promote local abattoirs to cut transport times for animals. That’s where the problem lies and what animal defenders are calling for.

MEPs insist that all EU member states must enforce, properly and uniformly, existing legislation (EC Regulation No 1/2005). More on-the-spot inspections should be carried out and tougher and more dissuasive sanctions against rule-breakers should be imposed. Parliament also calls for establishing animal veterinary checks at the end of transportation and other scientifically-based improvements to ensure the wellbeing of animals.

The EP calls on the Commission and the Council to take into account the latest scientific knowledge reflected in the report of the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), in preparing regulations on animal welfare.