We demand an end for cruel live transports by road and sea

EU Animal Transports

We are against long-distance transports of animals across Europe

Live Exports by Road

We are calling for an end of live exports from Europe to third countries

Live Exports by Sea

Animals do not belong on ships! Support us in ending live exports by sea

Young Animals

Stop long-distance transports of unweaned animals

EU Animal Transports

Animal transport in the European Union

Every day, millions of so-called farm animals are transported in the EU for breeding, fattening and slaughter. Globalisation and the high degree of specialisation in animal breeding and husbandry have made long, cruel transports an integral part of the European agricultural economy. This trade in living, sentient animals is neither acceptable nor sustainable in the way it is currently practised.

Animal transport is legally regulated in Regulation (EC) No. 1/2005, the so-called EU Animal Transport Regulation. It is legally binding in all member states of the European Union. In addition, some member states have national animal transport regulations with stricter requirements.

Animal Welfare problems during transport

The EU Animal Transport Regulation does not provide for a general ban on transporting animals for days or weeks at a time. The resting and transport intervals may be continued indefinitely, so that animals are transported over many thousands of kilometres and through different climate zones.

The required space allowance is too small and the permitted transport time too long. Young animals may be transported for up to 19 hours, pigs and horses for up to 24 hours and cattle, sheep and goats for up to 29 hours, provided they are then unloaded for a rest period of 24 hours. For some animal species, such as chickens, turkeys or rabbits, there are no time limits for transport (with the exception of chicks within 72 hours of hatching).

The low legal requirements are still frequently disregarded. Animals suffer particularly from heat stress, insufficient space to stand and lie down in natural conditions, a lack of water and food to meet their needs.

Following transport, many animals have to suffer further, unimaginable pain during slaughter.

The current EU Animal Transport Regulation does not adequately protect all animal species and categories (e.g. young animals). Too many requirements are unclear, impractical and not implemented. In addition, the regulation is outdated and needs to be adapted to new scientific findings. In its final report in 2022, the EU Parliament's Animal Transport Inquiry Committee (ANIT) also points out the problems with enforcing the current regulation and the lack of or poorly formulated legislation.

The new draft legislation on animal transport was presented by the EU Commission in December 2023 and is currently being negotiated by the political decision-makers.

What we do and demand

We research, investigate, document and uncover where the legal requirements of the EU Animal Transport Regulation do not protect animals because they are missing, ignored or poorly implemented. We work according to the ‘own eyes principle’ and do not claim anything that we have not observed ourselves.

We pass on our findings in the form of objective reports, dossiers, complaints and videos to the relevant authorities and institutions.

We have been organising animal transport seminars for inspection authorities (police, veterinary and customs authorities) in Germany, Hungary, Poland and Spain, among others, for many years.

The Animal Welfare Foundation is calling for an ambitious new animal transport regulation that provide comprehensive protection for animals during transport.

This trade in living, sentient animals is neither acceptable nor sustainable in the way it is currently practised. We need a shift in EU agricultural policy towards the ethical treatment of animals in agricultural use. Animal transport must be kept to an absolute minimum, transport times limited, and transport of unweaned animals must be banned.

Together with our European umbrella organization Eurogroup for Animals, we are campaigning for an ambitious EU animal transport regulation protecting animals from pain and distress.

How you can get involved

Support our teams with your donation:
Donate kilometres for our investigations

Stay informed about our work:
Sign up for our newsletter

Investigations

28. October 2025

Operation on the Turkish border – progress thanks to our work

Our team traveled to the Turkish-Bulgarian border to check whether there are still problems with animal transports there. We also met with border veterinarians to learn more about the situation on the ground. Because there were several serious incidents last year involving weeks of waiting, it was particularly important to conduct another…

21. October 2025

Transport of unweaned calves September 2025

Documentation of calf transports – suffering after short journeys

For the second time in just four weeks, our team has documented calf transports at a collection point in Germany, near the Dutch border. Every week, two to three livestock trucks depart from there, loaded with up to 700 unweaned calves. Most of the animals are taken to fattening farms in the Netherlands.

Some of the transports continue on to…

08. September 2025

Lecture on animal transport to third countries at the German Judicial Academy

At the invitation of the Hessian Ministry of Justice, we participated in a conference held by the German Judicial Academy in Trier last week. The Judicial Academy provides further training for judges and public prosecutors. The topic of the conference was ‘Animal welfare law – selected fundamentals and current developments’.

Together with our…

25. August 2025

Animal transport in extreme heat in eastern France

From 11 to 13 August, we documented animal transports in eastern France together with our French colleagues from Welfarm. In doing so, we identified massive violations of animal welfare law. During this period, temperatures reached up to 40 degrees Celsius. Even these extreme temperatures did not deter some transporters from driving animals across…

27. July 2025

Heat stress and cramped conditions: our new investigation on the transport of laying hens

Last week, we teamed up with the French animal welfare organization Welfarm to investigate the transport of birds across Germany. After a start that required patience, we were successful and documented the loading and transport of spent laying hens. Once again, we were able to prove that birds are neglected in the EU Animal Transport Regulation.

O…

10. July 2025

Erfolg für den Tierschutz vor Gericht in Polen

Animal Cruelty in Court – Success in Poland

Animal transport often involves enormous suffering: too little space, no access to water, injured or dead animals. As an animal welfare organization, we do not look away—we document such conditions and take them to court. Because only when abuses are prosecuted can real change happen.

One example of this is a particularly serious case we…

27. June 2025

Conversation with EU parliamentarian Stefan Köhler about animal transport regulation

The EU Parliament is currently discussing the Commission's proposal to revise the Animal Transport Regulation. However, there is considerable disagreement among the political groups about the the new law. It is therefore essential that we engage in dialogue with the parliamentarians involved and explain why urgent changes to the law are needed.…

04. April 2025

Investigation in the Czech Republic - overloaded truck with unweaned calves discovered

After uncovering the transport routes of calves from the Czech Republic and Slovakia to Spain in 2021-2022 and filing complaints against the operators of French supply stations for inadequate care of the animals, we took action again.

The investigation took place in the Czech Republic. This time, we followed a Spanish transporter from a Czech…