Wyn (Verts/ALE). – Mr President, I welcome Mr Maat's attempt to tackle this very difficult subject. Animal welfare is a very emotive issue in many ways, so any new legislation must be based on sound veterinary and scientific information. To judge from the amount of lobbying on this issue, this is clearly a very important issue for the citizens of the European Union.

I particularly welcome amendments acknowledging difficulties facing remote and peripheral areas for the transportation of animals – including Wales and the Western Isles of Scotland. That is an important inclusion within the body of the report. I hope we do not get bogged down, for example, in whether it is to be eight or nine hours. Rather, we should focus on what in my view is the far more important issue of proper policing of the regulations and ensuring that the rules are as practical and as workable as they can be.

I would like to see the live trade ultimately replaced by a carcass trade, with animals slaughtered locally. We know of the dangers of not slaughtering locally in the wake of the epidemics of foot-and-mouth and other diseases, where because of transportation of animals, those kinds of diseases spread across the country far more easily. Where the transport of live animals is necessary, I hope we will end up with legislation that is both firm and fair for the industry.