Activities of Stefan ECK related to 2018/2110(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Protection of animals during transport within and outside the EU (debate) DE
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION implementation report as regards Regulation 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport within and outside the EU
Amendments (25)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that millions of animals are transported live (for slaughtering or breeding) each year inside the EU and from the EU to third countries; such exports are on the increase as the farming industry is in search of new markets; it also notes that Regulation 1/20051 hasmay hadve a positive impact on the welfare of animals during transport if correctly implemented and enforced; welcomes the Commission's guidelines on the subject, but notes that severe problems still persist; observes that enforcement of the regulation wshould appear to be the primary concern of those involved in its implementation; _________________ 1 Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 of 22 December 2004 on the protection of animals during transport and related operations and amending Directives 64/432/EEC and 93/119/EC and Regulation (EC) No 1255/97 (OJ 3, 5.1.2005, p. 1).
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 1 – point 1 (new)
(1) Underlines that conditions in third countries are usually worse than in the EU and exported animals are no longer protected on the ground by EU laws despite of the Court of Justice's ruling which concluded that Regulation 1/2005 should apply to cases of exports to non- EU countries;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point 2 (new)
Paragraph 1 – point 2 (new)
(2) Acknowledges that several official and non-official investigations provided abundant evidence that many animal exports between EU countries and from the EU to third countries are not in accordance with Regulation 1/2005;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point 3 (new)
Paragraph 1 – point 3 (new)
(3) Investigations have also shown that Regulation 1/2005 is not respected in border areas inside EU territory;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas every year millions of animals are transported across Member States and to third countries over long distances to be bred, fattened or slaughtered;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Insists that the transport time of animals destined for slaughter be limited to eightfour hours, taking account of transport conditions and loading time, irrespective of whether this takes place on land or at sea;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Deplores the often lengthy delays at borders and the increased pain and distress for animals that they cause - as journeys can last up to 14 days in cramped conditions, in trucks or ships without sufficient feed, water or veterinary care; calls on the Member States and the Commission to improresolve this situation;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. Whereas the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe states that “animals should be reared as close as possible to the premises on which they are born and slaughtered as close as possible to the point of production. Transport of live animals should be replaced as much as possible by transport of carcasses”;1 1 http://www.fve.org/publications/fve- calls-to-ensure-better-animal-welfare- during-animal-transport/
Amendment 86 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that the total number of checks carried out by national competent authorities pursuant to Regulation 1/2005 has fallen, despite the number of consignments in the EU containing live animals having increased; calls on the Member States to ensure adequate controls for live animal transport, properly planned journeys and contingency plans – as required by Regulation 1/2005;
Amendment 103 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Urges the Commission to offer incentives to public administrations for staff training (sanitary and enforcement officials), and to farmers to slaughter their animals at the nearest slaughter facility in order to prevent lengthy animal transportation times; calls on the Commission to present innovative solutions in this regard; replacing the trade in live animals with exports in meat and carcasses may be a viable alternative that presents economic opportunities and provides solutions to serious breaches to EU animal welfare rules; mobile slaughtering solutions and regional slaughterhouses should be incentivised as well;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Notes that the provisions of Regulation 1/2005 that are most frequently breached include those that disallow overcrowding, require sufficient headspace, prohibit transport in extreme heat, require water to be available during long journeys, prohibit the transport of unfit animals, require bedding, and require animals to be unloaded for 24 hours rest, feed and water after a specified maximum travelling time; calls on Member States and transporters to substantially improve enforcement of, and compliance with, Regulation1/2005;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Agrees with the Commission 1that it is good practice for competent authorities to inspect all consignments destined for non-EU countries at loading; believes that a proportion of intra-EU consignments should also be inspected at loading; notes that at loading competent authorities can check that the Regulation’s requirements on floor space and headroom are being observed, that the ventilation and water systems are operating properly, that the drinking devices are working properly and are appropriate for the species being carried, that no unfit animals are loaded, and that sufficient feed and bedding are being carried; 1 Final report of an audit carried out in The Netherlands from 20 February 2017 to 24February 2017 in order to evaluate animal welfare during transport to non- EU countries.DG(SANTE) 2017-6106
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Notes that enforcement is particularly difficult when a journey passes through several Member States and when different Member States (i) approved the journey log,(ii) granted the transporter’s authorisation, (iii) granted the vehicle’s certificate of approval and (iv) granted the driver’s certificate of competence; calls on Member States which discover breaches to notify all the other Member States involved as required by Article 26 of Regulation 1/2005 so that they can prevent recurrence of the breaches;
Amendment 136 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Urges the Commission, together with the Member States, to align and reinforce sanction levels in the case of breaches, as these can be more than 10 times higher in some Member States than in others; penalties should be effective, proportionate and dissuasive.
Amendment 140 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 – indent 1 (new)
Paragraph 9 – indent 1 (new)
– Recommends a higher rate of EU investments in the extension of smaller scale, locally based animal agriculture as well as the promotion of healthy plant based diets to replace current high animal product consumption;
Amendment 141 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 – indent 2 (new)
Paragraph 9 – indent 2 (new)
– Recalls that in the past 10 years hundreds of official documents and initiatives denounced to the EC the terrible conditions of animals transported alive; over a million European citizens have asked European institutions twice to change this reality;
Amendment 142 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 – indent 3 (new)
Paragraph 9 – indent 3 (new)
– Recommends the set-up of a parliamentary enquiry committee to tackle in the most comprehensive way all the problems related to live animals transport;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. RecCalls on the Member States to make more effective use of the strong enforcement powers given to Member States under the Regulation, including the power to require transporters to establish systems to prevent the recurrence of breaches and to suspend or withdraw a transporter’s authorisation;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Is concerned that Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council on official controls repeals all the enforcement provisions of Regulation 1/2005 from 14 December 2019 and replaces them with provisions that in some respects are weaker; calls on the Commission when adopting delegated acts under Regulation 2017/625 to ensure that the enforcement provisions provided by that Regulation and its delegated acts are at least as strong as those that are being repealed;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Highlights the poor conditions prevailing during maritime transport, and calls son Member States to be more rigorous in their certification and approval procedures for vessels, and to improve their pre-loading checks on animal fitness; livestock vessels and animal fitness that are required by Regulation 1/2005;calls on the Commission to provide a list of ports with adequate animal inspection facilities and on competent authorities not to approve journey logs that plan to use ports without such facilities;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Notes that loading onto livestock vessels is often carried out roughly with the use of sticks and electric prods, loading ramps in some cases are steeper than the maximum slope permitted by Regulation1/2005, and the entry to vessels at the end of the loading ramp is often unlit causing animals to balk as they do not want to move from light into dark areas; calls on competent authorities to properly inspect loading operations as required by Article 20 of Regulation 1/2005;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Insists that the journey time for all animals being transported must be as short as possible, in line with recital 5 of Regulation (EC) No 1/2005, which states that ‘for reasons of animal welfare the transport of animals over long journeys … should be limited as far as possible’ and recital 18 which states that “long journeys are likely to have more detrimental effects on the welfare of animals than short ones”;
Amendment 369 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Is concerned at persistent reports of animal welfare problems in third countries; notes that slaughter in certain third countries to which the EU sends animals entails extreme and prolonged suffering and regularly breaches the international standards on welfare at slaughter of the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health); calls on the Commission and Member States to promote a shift towards the transport of meat or carcasses, instead of live animals, to third countries;
Amendment 384 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Calls for consistent and full compliance with the 2015 judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Case C-424/13, in which the Court ruled that, for the transport of animals involving a long journey commencing in EU territory and then continuing outside of it, the transporter, in order to be authorised to depart, must submit a true and accurate travel log for the purpose of verifying compliance with Regulation (EC) No 1/2005; calls on competent authorities not to approve journey logs where under the Court’s ruling animals must be unloaded for a 24 hour rest in a non-EU country unless the organiser has identified a place for that rest that provides facilities equivalent to those of a control post; calls on official veterinarians at exit points to check, as required by Article 21 of Regulation 1/2005 as interpreted by the Court’s ruling, that before vehicles leave the EU they are not overcrowded, provide sufficient headroom, provide bedding, are carrying sufficient feed and water and that the ventilation and water devices are functioning correctly;
Amendment 403 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Is appalled at reports of extremely long and distressing waiting periods for animals at borders; calls on Member States having borders with third countries to open dedicated express lanes at customs for animals being transported, in order to reduce waiting periods; calls on competent authorities not to approve journey logs for exports to Turkey until facilities have been constructed on the Turkish side of the border where, in the event of delays, animals can be unloaded and given feed, water, rest and veterinary care;