Despite stating that the transport of unweaned calves from Ireland to France is in breach of EU law, the European Commission has so far failed to take action against it, says Ethical Farming Ireland.
In an audit report published in December 2023, the Commission claimed the journey was in breach of Regulation 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport, as the calves are not being fed during the long ferry crossing to France. In most cases, these animals are left unfed for up to 30 hours, sometimes more.
A group of animal welfare NGOs have now joined forces to call on the Commission to intervene. They are also directly urging one of the major shipping companies on this route, Stena Line, to immediately put an end to the transport.
Ireland continues to export large numbers of unweaned calves annually, with an estimated 160,000 already transported this year.
Unweaned calves, as young as 15 days old and dependent on milk, are transported in trucks, around 300 in each, on a roll on roll off ferry for the 18-hour sea crossing to Cherbourg, France. While the EU Regulation states that unweaned calves must be fed after a maximum of 19 hours, this is not possible because at that stage the calves are stuck in a truck and they need to be unloaded to be fed.
After their arrival in France and a 13-hour rest, the calves are reloaded and transported by road to other Member States including the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Romania, Poland, Hungary and Croatia. The total journey time can last for up to 60 hours.
Ethical Farming Ireland says: “Unweaned calves suffer greatly during these long journeys - their immune system is not fully developed and being deprived of food for prolonged periods has considerable negative effects. Stress and inappropriate nutrition can also lead to respiratory diseases, while making their bodies more susceptible to heat and cold stress. Previous investigations have shown not all calves survive the journey to France.”
The joint letters have been signed by over 20 animal protection NGOs, including letter organizers Eurogroup for Animals, Compassion in World Farming, Ethical Farming Ireland, Dier&Recht, and FOUR PAWS.
