**IMPORTANT UPDATE FROM DEPT OF AGRICULTURE** – Warning in relation to transport of animals in parts of Europe

Daytime temperatures are expected to be in excess of 30 ˚C and above in  areas of South-Eastern France, Northern Italy and Eastern and Southern Spain over the coming week. Night time temperatures will also be consistently high in some of these areas. Areas such as the Central Plateau and Rhone valley, are unlikely to be compatible with transport of animals in compliance with Article 3 of Regulation 1/2005 for part of the coming week.

Article 3 of regulation 1/2005 ‘No person shall transport animals or cause animals to be transported in a way likely to cause injury or undue suffering to them.’

1. Rennes Temperatures will reach 30 ˚C on Sunday next.
2. Rhine Valley Daytime temperatures will reach in excess of 30 ˚C on Sunday and Monday.
3. Rhone Valley Daytime temperatures will reach 30 ˚C  and above every day in many parts. Next Sunday conditions in this region are unlikely to be compatible with transport of animals in compliance with Article 3 of Regulation 1/2005.
4. Toulouse & Bordeaux, Temperatures will reach 30 ˚C next Saturday and Sunday.
5. Ebro Valley (Zaragoza, Lleida) Temperatures during the day will be consistently above 30˚C for the next week.
6. Central Plateau Due to consistently elevated temperatures reaching up to 40 ˚C , conditions in many parts of this region are unlikely to be compatible with transport of animals in compliance with Article 3 of Regulation 1/2005 next week.
7. Ferrara (Italy) Daytime temperatures will remain consistently over 30˚C for the next week.

This list is not comprehensive and caution is advised when assessing proposed journey logs to Europe at present until temperatures cool in the back end of the year.

The European Commission advises Member States, with reference to the Regulation, “that no long distance transports should take place if temperatures are forecast to exceed 30°C”.

Regulation 01/2005 – ‘3.1. Ventilation systems on means of transport by road shall be designed, constructed and maintained in such way that, at any time during the journey, whether the means of transport is stationary or moving, they are capable of maintaining a range of temperatures from 5°C to 30°C within the means of transport, for all animals, with a +/- 5°C tolerance, depending on the outside temperature.’

The Department considers that the default temperature intended by Regulation 1/2005, for inside a vehicle transport by land over a long journey, should be no greater than 30°C. The maximum permissible temperature within the vehicle is 35°C.   Transport section has analysed a sample of returned journey logs and compared the temperature within the vehicle with the outside conditions; the temperature within the vehicle, in warm conditions, is usually significantly warmer than the outside temperature.   A Swedish study of air temperatures within cattle trucks indicated that the mean temperatures were 3-6 °C higher within the truck than outside it.

Next update: Wednesday 27^th July 2022