Government Decision No. HG35/2025 validating the Sanitary and Veterinary Norm on the protection and welfare of animals during transportation.

This Government Decision approves and enacts a comprehensive veterinary sanitary norm governing the protection and welfare of live vertebrate animals during transport in the national territory. It applies to all transport of live vertebrate animals, including specific cases such as seasonal transhumance and short-distance movements by farmers, while expressly excluding very short farm movements, non economic pet transport, and certain research- or veterinary related movements. The objective is to prevent unnecessary suffering and ensure high animal welfare standards throughout transport operations, including at border control posts and staging points. The norm lays down general conditions for transport, requiring that animals be fit for the intended journey, that journeys be planned to minimize duration and take account of weather, and that vehicles, containers, loading and unloading equipment be designed, constructed, maintained and used to avoid injury and suffering. It mandates adequate space, ventilation, lighting, bedding, feed, water and rest intervals, and prohibits the use of sedatives except under veterinary supervision. Detailed technical rules in Annex 1 specify fitness criteria, vehicle and container standards, loading ramp gradients, handling practices, separation of categories of animals, ventilation and temperature ranges, watering systems, and minimum space allowances by species, weight, mode of transport and journey type. Special provisions govern long distance journeys, including maximum journey times, mandatory rest periods, and additional requirements for equidae and domestic bovine, ovine, caprine and porcine animals. Institutionally, the norm defines the roles and obligations of transporters, organizers, keepers, and operators of collection centres and control points. Transporters must be authorized by the competent authority, use authorized vehicles and, for long journeys, navigation systems, and employ trained personnel holding professional competence certificates. They must carry specified documentation (origin, owner, departure and destination, departure time, estimated journey duration) and, for long journeys, complete and retain journey logs. The National Food Safety Agency is designated to supervise implementation, issue and register authorizations for transporters, vehicles and livestock vessels, and maintain electronic databases. It must organize training, issue competence certificates, conduct pre loading and unloading inspections, prioritize animal transports at borders, and prepare annual inspection reports and national good practice guidelines. Annexes further regulate the criteria and authorization of control points, the format and use of journey logs and authorization certificates, and the composition and tasks of inspection teams for official controls on livestock vessels. Breaches of the norm entail contraventional, civil or criminal liability under applicable legislation.