The distances between farms and other facilities are also becoming increasingly longer. This is a result of the closure or sale of smaller farms and the increase in size of larger, more industrial facilities⁸. For years, the number of slaughterhouses has also been decreasing throughout the EU, meaning that the distances from fattening farms to abattoirs are also increasing⁹.

In addition, due to the free internal market of the EU states, animals are not only transported within the member states, but across EU national borders¹⁰.

Due to ever-increasing globalisation, there are also a large number of transports to non-EU countries. The EU has made agreements regarding the transport of live animals with at least 16 third countries¹¹.

This is a major concern, as exports are made to countries without animal welfare requirements. This removes any controls on how the animals are treated, housed and handled there.

The reason that the animals are live transported, as is so often the case in industrial animal husbandry, is mainly due to economical factors. Transporting meat instead of living animals, which are slaughtered at the point of arrival, would simply be more expensive.

Meat must be transported in refrigerated trucks under strict regulations, and the cold chain must not be interrupted at any time¹².

Also, transporting semen or embryos instead of live breeding animals, is more complex and expensive under the current guidelines, but would be possible.

Another reason for live transports to non-EU countries is that animals are slaughtered according to specific cultural or religious beliefs.

Animals are exposed to many welfare-related concerns during transportation^20,21,22:

• • Rough handling during catching, loading and unloading
  • Stress during loading and unloading due to fixation measures
  • Social stress due to mixing with foreign animals
  • Hunger, as on the way to slaughter animals are not fed for a certain period of time prior to transportation
  • Thirst
  • Overexertion
  • Enormous lack of space
  • Lack of opportunities for rest
  • Extreme temperatures:
    • Heat (often more than 35° C outside temperature) regularly leads to overheating, dehydration, hyperventilation, circulatory collapse
    • Cold (often less than -5° C outside temperature) regularly leads to hypothermia, frostbite, shivering, unconsciousness
  • Injuries due to slipping on slippery floors during loading and during transport
  • Births during transport
  • Death: a not insignificant number of animals arrive dead at their destination; as ‘death on arrival’, these figures are firmly calculated; they may well reach several percent depending on the circumstances²³

Already the catching and loading usually means enormous stress and even pain for the animals. Again and again, situations occur in which animals are beaten and kicked during this process. With electric prods and sticks, the animals are often forced to move if they refuse to do so voluntarily out of fear or stress²⁴.

Chickens that are reared for meat, for example, are caught by ‘catching teams’ or by means of catching machines²⁵. Both methods are very stressful for the animals. The catchers grab the chickens by the wings or feet and often carry five animals in one hand, who they then cram into the small transport boxes.

Even this first phase of preparation for transport can place enormous stress on the animals. The capture and loading of the animals is only minimally regulated by law. Even this first phase of preparation for transport can place enormous stress on the animals.

There are also fundamental systemic problems with the transports themselves that cause suffering and pain for the animals:

• • Insufficient laws
  • Poor compliance with these laws
  • Accidents

Already the legal transport methods and times are not suitable to transport the animals without suffering and stress. For example, transporting animals in small transport boxes – a legally permissible method – means extreme discomfort, fear and highly likelihood of injury. Similarly, the maximum transport times outlined by the law are already far too long^26,27.

Due to the fact that these already insufficient legal regulations are not consistently complied with, there are unspeakable conditions on the transports.

Very often, for example, transportation times are not adhered to. Especially at border crossings in third countries, there are serious and well known problems. This is particularly the case at the Turkish-Bulgarian border. In the summer months the animal transporters are often delayed for an extended period of time. At outside temperatures of 35 to 40 degrees Celsius, the animals have to wait in vehicles in the blazing sun for hours without a water supply, sometimes even days²⁸.

Another important aspect to note is the high risk of accidents^29,30. In 2021, it is estimated that almost 10,000 animals died in Germany alone in the course of industrial animal transports due to traffic accidents³¹.

Most recently, a scientific opinion issued by EFSA in January 2011 also sees the transportation of animals as a significant risk factor for the spread of animal diseases in the EU³².

There are numerous reports of appalling conditions and regulatory failures:

The ship Elbeik³⁵, for example, sailed around the Mediterranean for 3 months because it was not allowed to dock anywhere due to a suspected outbreak of bluetongue disease onboard.189 animals died solely due to the stresses of transport. The survivors were ultimately ’emergency slaughtered’ after the 3 months³⁶.

Accidents occur time and time again during ship transports. In 2022, for example, 16,000 sheep drowned in Sudan in a transportation that should have carried only 8,000 sheep³⁷. In 2019, 14,000 sheep died during a Romanian transport³⁸.

From January 2023, transport of calves in Germany is only permitted after they are 28 days old due to supply issues⁴³. There are still no such restrictions for piglets and lambs.

For animals that are pregnant, transportation is not allowed in the last third of pregnancy and one week after birth⁴⁴. However, they may be transported during earlier periods of pregnancy, which is an enormous burden.

Despite these regulations, violations are frequent. This is mainly due to animal owners or transporters not being exactly sure of the pregnancy stage of the animals involved⁴⁵. The most common violations related to lack of fitness for transport are related to pregnant animals and especially animals that are already 90% of the way through pregnancy. In some cases, they give birth during transport⁴⁶.

Many pregnant cows are transported to Turkey for ‘milk production’, despite the serious delays at the Bulgarian-Turkish border that are well-known. In addition, some of the animals are bought as ‘dairy’ or ‘breeding’ animals, but are immediately slaughtered once they reach the destination⁴⁷.

The EU heavily subsidised animal exports to non-EU countries in the 1990s.
After revelations of disturbing, deliberate animal cruelty and terrible conditions on the transport routes and in the countries of destination⁵¹, the EU finally removed the subsidies in 2005 and issued the Regulation on the Protection of Animals during Transport.

The regulation aims to prevent injuries and unnecessary suffering of animals during transport. This regulation also sets minimum requirements for transportability, stocking density, transport and rest times, availability of water and food, organisation of transport and requirements for drivers.

However, only some animals that are transported within the EU/ from or to the EU as part of a commercial activity are included.
Fish, crustaceans, invertebrates, laboratory animals, as well as horses and donkeys are not or insufficiently covered, although large numbers of these are transported alive.⁵².

It is highly problematic that the EU regulation is not consistently adhered to. Numerous violations occur within the EU, at borders and in third countries.

According to a ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ)⁵³, the EU transport regulation also applies beyond the borders of the EU. But there are no controls there and third countries see no reason to observe foreign laws on their territory.

Furthermore, it has been shown that the requirements set in the regulation no longer stand up to scientific knowledge and are outdated. The framework conditions set are not suitable to ensure the welfare of animals.

In May 2020, the European Commission announced that it would revise European animal welfare legislation by the end of 2023. As part of the “Farm to Fork” strategy, the aim is to be guided by the latest scientific findings. The Commission will also revise the transport regulation⁵⁴. It remains to be seen how this will improve the legal situation for animals in the EU.

However, the regulations only apply to transportation to the slaughterhouse and not to feathered animals. It should also be noted that the still animals suffer enormous stress at temperatures below 30° C outside and for shorter transport times.

In response to the massive animal welfare violations in third countries that have become known, many German states have suspended or restricted the export of live animals to certain countries. This proactive action is a positive change for animals.

It should be noted, however, that there is no nationwide regulation and companies therefore find loopholes via other federal states. In addition, transport to other EU states and from there to third countries continues to take place without restriction.

In principle, during the most important stages, i.e. at exit points and border inspection posts, the veterinary offices are required to check the validity of licenses, certificates of approval and competence and logbooks, as well as the condition of the animals with regard to further transport⁵⁶.

In 2014, the few inspections that took place already revealed 4,764 violations in Germany alone⁵⁷. In 2018, there were almost 6,000 violations⁵⁸. We assume that the number of unreported cases is much higher.

Most of the violations were related to:⁵⁹

• Lack of transportability of the animals
• Lack of headroom due to low ceiling height
• Overcrowding
• Inadequate watering devices
• Inadequate food and water supply
• Insufficient ventilation
• Considerably longer transportation time
• Failure to comply with rest periods
• Unrealistic logbooks

Outside the EU, controls are virtually non-existent. The extent of animal welfare violations can hardly be imagined, although according to the ECJ ruling, EU animal welfare regulations apply until unloading at the destination.

Even when controls take place, police and veterinary offices often face the problem that they cannot do anything concrete for the animals in the situation. There are not enough supply stations where animals can be unloaded for rest breaks⁶⁰.

In addition, drivers now often simply bypass regions where stricter regulations apply or where there is a known increase in inspection volumes⁶¹.

We want to establish a society in which the interests of all animals are represented. This means that animals are no longer exploited and killed, as this is the only way to safeguard their interests. Fundamentally, we demand that no more animal transports take place.

Until that time comes, we call for the most serious problems during animal transports to be addressed by the following restrictions:

• No transports to other EU countries
• No transports longer than 8 hours, within Germany not longer than 4 hours
• Means of transport better adapted to the animals: no multilevel transporters for cattle
• Transporters high enough for standing upright, and adequate bedding and air conditioning
• Transport of small animals in more suitable transport boxes
• Temperature limits: no transports below 5 and above 25 degrees outside temperature
• No transports of pregnant animals
• No transports of unweaned infant animals
• Stricter controls and higher penalties for violations that affect not only the drivers but also the companies behind them
• Uniform nationwide licensing requirements through agreements between the states (state working groups, conference of agriculture ministers)
• Transport times on ships must be counted as transport time and not as rest time