The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is giving only a cool welcome to the new European Union (EU) Regulation on live animal transport which came into force on Jan. 5, noted the following article in the Animal Air Transport Association e-news available at www.aata-animaltransport.org/publications.htm.

“While it’s a step in the right direction, the new Regulation doesn’t go nearly far enough in protecting animals in transit,” says Dr. Julia Wrathall, RSPCA head of farm animals. “We are very disappointed that it still fails to take account of scientific research about the needs of animals and the avoidance of suffering. Key welfare issues such as appropriate maximum journey times and space allowances for farm animals during travel are still being neglected. Although there is a commitment in the Regulation to review these issues, that won’t happen for another four years.”

Positive aspects of the Regulation include an eight hour maximum journey time for “unbroken” horses; stricter rules on whether animals are deemed fit to travel; and a ban on the commercial transport of puppies and kittens under eight weeks of age (unless travelling with their mother).

There is also a requirement for compulsory, welfare-focussed training and competency testing for livestock hauliers (although not until 2008) and for global positioning systems on new long distance vehicles from today. Older long distance vehicles must have the systems by 2009