Answer given by Mr Andriukaitis on behalf of the Commission
15.5.2018
The Commission has no plan to add specific welfare requirements for transporting dogs and cats in addition to those already laid down in Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport[1]. The reason for this is that, as indicated in a Study on the impact of the regulation published in 2011[2], there is a general issue with the proper implementation of existing legislative requirements for dogs and cats.
In addition to establishing the sub-group of the EU Platform on Animal Welfare referred to by the Honourable Member, the Commission has taken a number of initiatives to assist Member States in order to better implement the already existing requirements. Concerning dogs and cats, these initiatives include: discussions at meetings of the national contact points on animal welfare during transport, Better Training for Safer Food[3] events on ‘Controls on commercial and non-commercial movements of cats and dogs’ and a study on the welfare of dogs and cats involved in commercial practices[4].
- [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 L 3, 5.1.2005, p.1.
- [2] Specific Contract SANCO/2010/D5/S12.574298: https://ec.europa.eu/food/sites/food/files/animals/docs/aw_practice_trans_study_report_en.pdf
- [3] https://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/btsf_en
- [4] Specific Contract SANCO 2013/12364: https://ec.europa.eu/food/sites/food/files/animals/docs/aw_eu-strategy_study_dogs-cats-commercial-practices_en.pdf