In March, we were on the Balkan export route for the first time to document the transport of live animals from the EU to the Balkans and to gain a better understanding of the procedures at the EU external border between Croatia and Montenegro.
Every week, European cattle and pigs are transported across the EU external border at Karasovići, primarily to Kosovo and Albania. Most of these animals are destined for slaughter. Since Serbia banned the transit of live animal transports due to animal disease concerns, the Karasovići border crossing has become the only route for transporting animals into Kosovo. This bottleneck can have devastating consequences for the animals. The coastal road leading to the border is mostly a single-lane road and, especially during the summer, quickly becomes congested with tourist traffic. Slow-moving traffic and long traffic jams are common, particularly at the border itself. For the animals, this means additional waiting time in the blazing sun.
The border crossing is not suitable for animal transports and, apparently, is not even approved for the transport of ungulates. It lacks the necessary infrastructure - there are neither shaded waiting areas for trucks nor facilities to unload animals in case of an emergency. On top of that, the border is not open 24/7, as the border veterinarians only work during daytime hours.
In March, we repeatedly documented long waiting times there. Many animal transports arrived during the night. While the drivers were able to take their mandatory rest breaks, the animals were forced to remain on the trucks, packed closely together, often without adequate access to water and without feed. In one case, we documented animals having to wait for more than 12 additional hours at the border.
Clearly, this situation is unacceptable. Poor planning, insufficient capacity at the border, and, in many cases, simple indifference to the welfare of the animals not only result in repeated violations of existing EU legislation but also cause immense animal suffering.
After our investigation, we immediately began follow-up work and contacted the responsible Croatian authorities to draw attention to these serious shortcomings. We found that they were receptive to our concerns, but the infrastructural problems at the border are difficult to solve in the short and medium term. Addressing them would require investment, additional personnel, and above all, political will. Unfortunately, the situation is complex. Instead of consistently preventing exports along the Balkan route - which do not even meet the minimum legal requirements - animal transports continue up to day.
That is why we recently returned to the Balkan route to gather further evidence and to develop strategies and practical solutions to improve the unacceptable conditions on this route as quickly as possible for the animals.
