Dossiers
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Transport from the EU to third countries
1. Introduction
Every year, the EU sends billions of live animals to third countries outside its borders. EU Regulation No. 1/2005 on the protection of animals is long overdue for revision. However, with regard to the export of live animals to non-EU countries, the EU Commission's current legislative proposal does not include a ban on exports to so-called high-risk countries outside the EU.
We have been documenting for years how animals suffer on long journeys on roads and ships, how they are subjected to systematic torture en route and in third countries and that laws either do not exist or are not implemented.
Together with Animals' Angels, we have compiled a new dossier on exports to ten countries outside the EU - all so-called high-risk countries: Turkey, Morocco, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Albania, Moldova, Russia (and Central Asia) and Ukraine. These are all non-EU countries in which we have been active on the ground for years and about which we have summarised our observations and findings accordingly. Most of these countries disregard even the international minimum standards for animal welfare during transport, husbandry and slaughter. Where animal welfare standards comparable to those in the EU exist, they are not implemented.
2. Findings
In this dossier, we present the numerous animal welfare problems that we have documented over the last 15 years during the export transport of ‘farm’ animals. Time and time again, we have witnessed the immeasurable suffering of animals during transport, at borders and in places outside the EU, where animal welfare continues to play no role.
Export transports regularly and systematically violate applicable law:
- In order to reach third countries, the animals have to endure long road and sea journeys. This causes them great stress and suffering.
- There is a lack of controls on the transport leg outside the EU.
- There is a lack of specific contingency plans and appropriate animal welfare measures in the event of delays in entry or refusal to import the animals by the third country in question.
- In the event of refusals at non-EU borders, the animals can no longer be returned to the EU due to conflicting EU animal health regulations.
- The ECJ judgement C-424/13 cannot be implemented up to the destination in the third country.
- Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 cannot be enforced up to the point of destination in the third country.
- Non-EU countries often do not have national animal welfare laws. And if they do, they do not implement them. In addition, the international animal welfare standards of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) are not applied.
3. Conclusion
Despite all the known animal welfare problems and risks associated with export transport, the EU continues to send animals on long road and sea journeys to third countries without any animal welfare guarantees. In 2023 alone, the EU exported almost 1 million cattle, 3 million sheep and goats and 1 million pigs to non-EU countries (source: Eurostat).
With this dossier, we are therefore once again appealing to the EU member states and the EU Parliament to finally take the necessary steps: The only responsible solution is an EU-wide ban on exports to third countries that have not introduced and effectively enforced animal welfare standards comparable to or higher than those in the EU and from which animals cannot return to the EU if they are turned back at the borders of non-EU countries.
Specifically, we demand that animal transports to the ten countries mentioned be prohibited by decree and that they no longer be processed in future!
We also call on German politicians to follow up on the key issues paper presented by Minister Özdemir. Animals must not be transported to and through these countries because there are no animal welfare guarantees.
We have sent the dossier to the authorities of the EU Member States, the EU Commission and some members of parliament and hope that they will take our thorough research as an opportunity to finally introduce a ban on live animal exports to third countries.
The complete dossier on the export of animals to third countries is 68 pages long. Download it here.