The European Union has been reviewing its livestock transport regulation, with animal welfare organisations advocating for significantly stronger protections for animals during journeys.
EU livestock transport regulation has lagged behind welfare science for decades. Maximum journey times still permitted under Regulation 1/2005 are far longer than welfare evidence supports for most species, and temperature limits are frequently breached during summer transport with minimal enforcement consequence. The campaign for reform has gained ground: European Parliament resolutions, scientific reviews, and public pressure have built toward significant regulatory tightening. Long-distance live exports to third countries, where EU welfare standards cannot be enforced at destination, represent a particular concern — animals transported thousands of kilometres to North Africa or the Middle East face welfare conditions that EU-based slaughter would never permit. Shifting to a meat and carcass trade model rather than live animal export is the evidence-based welfare solution.