In brief: Legislative work is ongoing in the European Parliament regarding the European Commission's the regulation proposal on the welfare of animals during transport. MEPs from the Agriculture (AGRI) and Transport (TRAN) Committees have been invited to submit amendments to the draft report in order to modify and adapt the text. |
Following the submission of amendments, the scenario of the possible rejection of the regulation has raised concerns within the Greens/European Free Alliance group. This comes after right-wing and conservative MEPs (EPP, ECR, and ECR) tabled amendments seeking to completely remove the text.
The amendments will be officially published on 29 April, with a debate set for 15 May.
As a reminder, the co-rapporteur on the text, Tilly METZ (Greens/EFA, Luxembourg), and her group are advocating for strengthening the proposal, calling for stricter limits on journey times, transport temperatures, and space per animal.
The political majority required to reach a consensus and secure the European Commission’s proposal (thus avoiding its rejection) remains fragile, relying on support from the Socialist (S&D) and Centrist (Renew) groups.
At this stage, the Renew group is pushing for a more flexible approach to animal transport, notably by proposing to removal of the veterinarians requirement during loading and unloading, extending travel times for unweaned animals, and allowing wider temperature margins.