Long-distance transport of livestock across Europe causes significant welfare problems including exhaustion, dehydration, injury, and thermal stress. EU Regulation 1/2005 sets minimum standards but major reforms have been debated.
Long-distance livestock transport imposes cumulative welfare costs that intensify with journey duration. Animals may arrive exhausted, dehydrated, and with immune systems compromised by chronic stress, making disease more likely. Enforcement of existing regulations is inconsistent across member states, and monitoring of journey conditions beyond EU borders is limited. The fundamental welfare solution — replacing live animal trade with trade in meat and genetic material — reduces transport duration and associated welfare costs while maintaining economic activity. Progress toward this goal has been slow due to economic and political resistance.