New rules governing the long-distance transporting of animals have come into force, requiring upgrades to vehicles used to transport animals for eight hours or more.
From now on any new vehicles used for transporting animals for more than eight hours must be equipped with a satellite navigation system. This will allow better enforcement of EU rules on travel and rest times.
Older trucks which are already in use have until 2009 to install this equipment.
New equipment in the vehicles will also ensure that the microclimate in the vehicle is more suitable for the animals. Stricter watering requirements are also set out.
Special attention is to be given to young animals. New-born animals and females within one week of giving birth may not be transported
Drivers and attendants of animals in transit will be subject to compulsory training and from 2008 will have to be certified to care for the animals.
The new legislation clarifies the chain of responsibility for the animals to include not only transport operators but also traders, drivers, and staff at each end of the journey.
Given that animals tend to experience more stress when loaded and unloaded from vehicles, better rules for the handling animals at these times are set out, as are new requirements for loading/unloading facilities.
However, the new regulations do not limit the overall travelling times for livestock or stocking densities, as had been originally proposed by the European Commission.
This was because some countries, including Ireland, had difficulties with time limits which could have endangered their live-animal trade.
This weekend, the European health commissioner, Markos Kyprianou, said he was committed to bringing forward proposals on both matters before the end of 2009 as they formed an important part of the animal transport issue.
He said the European Food Safety Authority had issued opinions on stocking densities for animals in transport, and the commission would consult member states and stakeholders on the issue.