EU ‘planning no new animal transport rules’

EU HEALTH commissioner John Dalli yesterday confirmed that the commission would not be bringing forward any new rules on animal transport.

Instead, he told the European Parliament agricultural committee, the focus would be on better enforcement of the current rules along with stricter sanctions for their deliberate abuse.

Alyn Smith MEP welcomed the news, saying there was simply no time, appetite, or objective need for new rules when the problem was the poor enforcement by some member states.

The commissioner also updated MEPs on progress towards the sow stall ban which is due to come into place across Europe at the end of this year.

Only 16 of the 27 member states would be compliant with the incoming rules on pigs but he promised the commission would be taking immediate action against those countries that had not made the required changes to their pig housing.

The commission was already taking action over the ban on battery caged hens and he believed all 27 EU countries would be compliant with that regulation by the end of 2012.