Animals charter threat
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• EC officials are drafting new regulations for livestock transport which the RSPCA claims could put many livestock hauliers out of work.
The regulations, whose shape will be decided by EC Agriculture Ministers in the autumn, will lay down minimum standards for the protection of animals during transport. They will be influenced by recently completed work by the EC's Scientific Veterinary Committee.
The RSPCA's Dr Martin Potter says more stringent requirements for feeding and watering animals will hit hauliers. If agreed, the regulations will increase the cost of transport of live animals and so make chilled meat transport a more attractive proposition. It may even make long-distance work uneconomic."
He says limits on travelling time to a maximum of eight hours with calves up to six months would make it difficult to export to the Continent. How ever, the Veterinary Committee appears to argue for a more relaxed approach for sheep — carriage for 24 hours followed by a two-hour rest.
The Committee document states that all animals travelling for more than four hours must have room to lie down and sets out rules on the minimum free height above the loading floor. In temperatures above 25°C floor space must be increased.