Animal welfare and protection during transport: the current legislative framework in European Union

The Protocol on the protection and welfare of animals annexed to the Amsterdam Treaty (1997) establishing the European Community requires that in formulating and implementing agriculture and transport policies, the Community and the Member States shall pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals. In the field of animal welfare, transport has been, and still is today, cause of much controversy. Council Directive 91/628/EEC, amended by Directive 95/29/EC, constitutes the current Community legislative framework. In the light of experience gained under Directive 91/628/EEC at harmonising Community legislation on the transport of animals, and the difficulties encountered due to the diverse transposition of that Directive at national level, it was more appropriate to set out Community rules in this field in a regulation. In fact Council Regulations (EC) no. 97/1255, no 98/411 and no. 2005/1 were adopted subsequently to provide more detailed rules. This paper is aimed to review the current EU legislation affecting the animal transport.