A majority of Irish MEPs will seek amendments to EU animal transport proposals set to be voted on today (Thursday) in Strasbourg.

Eleven of Ireland’s 13 MEPs are not in favour of the proposals from the parliament’s Committee of Inquiry on the Protection of Animals during Transport (ANIT) as they currently stand.

The proposals include a complete ban on the transport of unweaned animals under 35 days, a maximum journey time of two hours for unweaned animals over this age and a ban on the transport in the last third of gestation.

These proposals would also apply to the transport of animals within Ireland.

The European Parliament will vote on proposed amendments on Thursday morning, before then agreeing to the final report.

Billy Kelleher MEP, who has tabled amendments, said that high standards of animal welfare and transport can be compatible.

He and others seek to cut the age at which calves can’t be transported back to 28 days, except in the case of transport by farmers under 50km.

Another amendment states that the transport of animals in the last third of gestation should be restricted to a maximum of four hours rather than an outright ban, according to Colm Markey MEP.

Green MEPs Grace O’Sullivan and Ciaran Cuffe are set to vote in favour of the current proposals.

Cuffe said he is concerned about animal health and welfare and noted that the recommendations in the ANIT report were arrived at after 18 months of in-depth research, and informed by evidence-based input from across a wide range of stakeholders.

Urging caution, Mick Wallace MEP said “we are nowhere near a ban on live exports” and that any legislation will still have to go through the European Commission.

Delegation

An IFA delegation led by president Tim Cullinan visited Strasbourg this week in advance of today’s vote and called for Irish MEPs to back the proposed amendments.

Read more

Crucial EU vote on calf exports