FOURTEEN LIVESTOCK ORGANIZATIONS JOIN TO ASK THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE FOR SPAIN TO REJECT THE NEW EUROPEAN REGULATION REGARDING THE TRANSPORT OF ANIMALS

• Anice, Anprogapor, Apromar, Asaja, Aseprhu, Asoprovac, Avianza, Cesfac, COAG, Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de España, Federovo, Intercun, UPA and Veteindustria have addressed Minister Luis Planas to show their concern about the new European regulations on the matter. of Animal Welfare and have joined together to demand that the Government of Spain take measures in this regard

• These organizations declare that the European Regulation on the protection of animals during transport does not defend the European Production Model, does not contemplate or is based on the real Animal Welfare problems of Spain and will have serious consequences for Spanish livestock production. 

Madrid, April 10, 2024. The Spanish meat livestock sector once again shows its concern regarding the new European regulations on Animal Welfare. Fourteen of the most prominent livestock, agri-food and veterinary organizations in our country (Anice, Anprogapor, Apromar, Asaja, Aseprhu, Asoprovac, Avianza, Cesfac, COAG, Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de España, Federovo, Intercun, UPA and Veteindustria) have come together and have sent a joint statement addressed directly to the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, so that Spain rejects the new European Regulation regarding the protection of animals during transport and related operations, for the amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1255/97 and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005. 

These organizations insist that the new regulation does not have a sufficient scientific basis and does not ensure an improvement in the welfare of animals during transport compared to the current situation. It is evident that the proposal has not been sufficiently worked on and that its social, economic and environmental impact has not been adequately estimated. Likewise, they maintain that the solution must be to work to improve the implementation of the current legislative framework, the most demanding in the world, which would allow the welfare of animals to continue to increase.  

The demanding measures of the new regulation would risk the economic sustainability of many rural areas in more disadvantaged and depopulated territories, would reduce cultural diversity and benefit the interests of countries that occupy a privileged position for the animal trade, while peripheral countries would be condemned ( and to island territories) to a serious competitive disadvantage, which would bear disproportionate costs.

"For all this, we strongly ask that Spain's position before the Council be to reject the proposal and demand its withdrawal, frontally opposing it, due to the serious damage it would cause to Spanish livestock production, to the value chain of foods of animal origin, to citizens (whether producers or consumers), to the economy and rural development of our country, to its gastronomic culture and to the Spanish productive model. The entire sector is united in the face of this incoherent proposal,” the spokespersons for these organizations jointly assure. 

The serious consequences for Spain 

Spain is one of the main producing countries in the EU and complying with this new regulation would imply a decrease in the productive capacity and competitiveness of livestock production and foods of animal origin in our country. 

These are the main reasons why this Regulation is not viable: 

1.  Prevents fair and balanced trade between member countries of the European Union. Due to the limitation of travel hours and temperatures allowed for transport, Spanish farmers would not be able to receive animals for breeding from countries where they are currently purchased, nor would they be able to export high-value genetics to the rest of the world. 

 2.  Unprecedented administrative burden. The obligations included in the proposed standard entail a very high administrative, bureaucratic and personnel cost and many farms do not have the means to carry it out and the smallest ones will be the most affected.

3.  The Spanish animal production sector suffers clear discrimination due to its geographical location and natural conditions. In the proposed standard, the temperatures and geographical diversity of our country condition us and this proposal represents a comparative insult with respect to other European regions given the average temperatures in Spain. 

4.   Night work. The difficulties in transporting animals during the day for long periods of the year will force workers in the livestock sector and related activities to work longer hours at night. This would imply that animal production would have a higher cost, more occupational risks, greater difficulties in conciliation and a greater risk for road safety, among others. 

5. Decrease in exports. If this proposal progresses, Spain's export capacity would be seriously reduced. The impact would not only affect livestock farmers, but also the food chain that depends on products of animal origin (mainly processing and cutting industries, but also feed and input factories necessary for animal production and their products). processed products, and to transporters of animals and their products). 

6.  Inflation and decrease in state income If the text were approved, the consumer would pay the increases in the production cost of the products in the basic basket. It would be more expensive to consume meat, eggs or fish, especially for people with lower incomes in the population.