The transport of live farm animals across Europe raises serious welfare concerns. Current regulations are frequently violated, and reform is urgently needed to protect animals during transit.
Live animal transport is one of the most documented and persistent welfare failures in European agriculture. Animals subjected to long-distance transport experience loading stress, thermal extremes, dehydration, hunger, injury from crowding, and chronic psychological stress from confinement. Regulation 1/2005, while an improvement over its predecessor, falls short of welfare science recommendations and is inconsistently enforced. The clear welfare solution — replacing live export with trade in meat and genetic material — faces economic and political resistance from exporting regions. The European Parliament has repeatedly called for stronger regulations; civil society pressure continues to grow. Ending the practice of exporting animals for slaughter outside the EU would represent a major welfare improvement.