April 7, 2009
EU to change livestock transportation rules
The EU Commission is drafting new proposals to limit journey times and reduce stocking rates on livestock transport vehicles.
The new proposal, which is still at an early stage, comes four years after the Commission introduced legislation governing the transport of animals.
The current legislation went into effect in 2005, and brought many changes to the way hauliers operate and delivered benefits in animal welfare.
Current rules said that for weanlings, a livestock transporter can transport for 14 hours, rest for an hour then travel for another 14 hours, before stopping for 24 hours. The new regulations propose a limit of 20 hours travel, nine hours rest and then, 20 hours travel with a 24-hour rest period before further travel.
The EU Commission also plans to introduce a satellite tracking system for hauliers so as to collect data on authorised transporters and journey logs.
