Vienna, 28 October 2024 – Less than a month after a shocking animal transport case at the Bulgarian-Turkish border, a similar incident is unfolding once again. This time, 47 cattle from Romania were stopped by Turkish authorities because their region of origin was flagged as disease-prone. After the truck attempted to return to Romania, Bulgarian veterinarian authorities refused their re-entry, leaving the cattle stuck between countries. Days without sufficient food or water put the animals at risk of suffering the same dire fate as the cows from Germany recently endured.

“The frequency of animal exports being stopped with no or little access to water and food is alarming and proves that live animal exports mean animal torture. The two recent cases at the Bulgarian-Turkish border show that farm animals born and raised in the European Union are treated as mere commodities during transport. Their wellbeing is disregarded, resulting in prolonged periods with no food, water, veterinary care or rest. Continuous stress and pain shape the short lives of these animals that are being shipped across Europe and to third countries. Some of them never reach their destination as they die helplessly in overcrowded and unsanitary trucks and ships. These tragedies must end. Two shockingly similar incidents within weeks should be evidence enough to expose the cruel dimension of live animal export.

FOUR PAWS calls on competent authorities to allow for a re-entry of the animals to the EU and save them from gruesome deaths. Unfortunately, this will most likely not be the last time this happens. We urge the competent authorities in the Member States to sanction violations of the animal transport rules. The European Parliament and Council need to address the gap in the EU legislation by amending the EU Commission’s proposal to guarantee higher animal welfare standards. It is crucial that the legislative framework is strengthened to prevent the suffering of millions of farm animals transported each year,” says Corinna Reinisch, Programme Lead Farm Animal Welfare at FOUR PAWS.