The European Union (EU) Parliament has approved restrictions on live animal transport times, including an eight-hour limit on road transport and a twenty-four-hour limit on sea transport of live animals intended for slaughter in other countries. Until now, there was no time limit on shipping transport of live animals from the EU. A 2021 report prepared by an EU Parliament committee documented extreme suffering of animals from dehydration, starvation, and disease during weeks-long transport of animals from the EU to countries like Saudi Arabia, Libya, and Israel. Advocates and countries like Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands are calling for a total ban on live animal export, citing the fact that most exported animals end up in countries that do not meet their standards for animal welfare or slaughter.
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