Commission response to ongoing animal welfare breaches in transport and the need to ban live animal transport to safeguard animal welfare

Priority question for written answer P-003765/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Anja Hazekamp (The Left)

During his Parliament hearing in November 2024, Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi said that 'we should not wait for the [animal transport] proposal to be adopted to improve the situation on the ground' and that 'we cannot just wait until the authorities agree or do not agree and leave animals stranded for weeks', stating that 'this is unacceptable'. The Commissioner also stated that 'it is equally important to enforce the current rules, because the pictures we have seen just this week, about animals stranded on the borders, cannot wait until a new legislation is in place' and 'these are things that are happening much too frequently'. Since this hearing, animals have continued to be stranded at borders, confined in trucks under stressful and poor conditions.

In the light of the above:

• 1.What has the Commission achieved so far to 'improve the situation on the ground', particularly regarding animals stranded at borders?
• 2.Does the Commission agree that guaranteeing animal welfare during live transport is difficult, in particular if animals are moved beyond EU borders, and that, therefore, the only effective way to protect animal health and welfare is to ban live exports?
• 3.What is the Commission's view on promoting the trade of meat, carcasses and genetic material instead of live animals?

Submitted: 26.9.2025