The reform of the EU regulation on the protection of animals during transport is one of the key ongoing dossiers of the Irish Council Presidency. Starting tomorrow, the EU Chief Veterinary Officers will meet in Ireland.
Animals’ Angels is therefore once again appealing to the EU Member States today. Our recent field operations show yet again that the suffering of animals during transport continues unabated.
In Bulgaria, Italy and Spain, our teams documented 36 domestic animal transports. In every single transport, we identified conditions or practices that caused unnecessary suffering to the animals.
We saw animals struggling to breathe in extreme heat, exhausted and apathetic, with far too little space. We saw trucks with inadequate ventilation. We saw sick and injured animals being transported in unsuitable vehicles, some of which did not survive these comparatively short journeys. The situation at the EU’s external borders was equally alarming: animals showing clear signs of severe heat stress, overcrowded and unsafe vehicles – including injured animals and even one animal that was trapped inside a truck – were able to cross the borders without any intervention.
The new EU regulation on the protection of animals during transport must finally turn animals’ legal right to protection into a reality.
We appeal to the EU Chief Veterinary Officers: In the further negotiations, make the perspective of the animals and their suffering the starting point of the discussions – not economic interests.
Animals experience every minute of the heat, thirst, fear, pain and exhaustion.
Their suffering must be prevented – and must no longer be accepted as an inherent part of animal transport.
Here you can find footage from our investigations during the summer of 2026.
