European officials were urged yesterday to take far tougher action against countries that have failed to comply with existing animal-transport legislation rather than impose new rules.
The plea for improved enforcement emerged from a meeting at Wick called by MEP Struan Stevenson and attended by about 20 representatives of the Caithness agriculture community, including a senior vet, farmers and livestock hauliers.
They all fear planned new European Commission rules could make journeys involving livestock from the far north and Scotland’s islands to traditional finishing areas and mainland abattoirs virtually impossible.
The threat of new legislation stems from commission concerns at the still appalling transport conditions many animals have to endure as they are shipped between countries on the continent.
Tory Mr Stevenson said that, instead of introducing new legislation for these states to again ignore, the effort should be made in securing improvements in the policing of standards that were introduced in 2007.
These imposed maximum journey times, compulsory rest periods and a requirement for feeding and water systems in addition to ventilation on long-distance floats.
He cited a report from the EU Food and Veterinary Office, as revealed by the Press and Journal on Saturday, in which Spain was condemned for a catalogue of animal transport infringements.
This included sheep being transported 1,680 miles from Spain to Italy by lorry in 28 hours: an average speed of 60mph. Another journey involving horses bound for slaughter from Spain again to Italy saw the transport log show an average journey speed of 109mph.
He also highlighted a 70-hour journey involving sheep from Greece to Romania, with many of the animals dead on arrival and others exhausted after having to endure searing heat.
Mr Stevenson said the new commission appeared determined to bring forward legislation, but this had to be stopped because UK hauliers and farmers had already faced significant costs in complying with rules that had not even begun to be implemented in other parts of Europe. He accepted the poor situation elsewhere put pressure on the commission to act, but added: “For goodness sake, instead of introducing a new raft of rules and regulations the time has come to hammer those who are breaking the rules.
“It is compliance that needs to be toughened up.
“If new rules come then it will be the same people here who will gold plate them and make us the poor mugs who will have to go to town and apply them, while the perpetrators in Greece, Spain, Italy and Romania will continue to flout them.
“There’s no need for new regulations across the EU.”
Mr Stevenson said the commission’s touted nine-hour maximum journey time was illogical and unworkable, particularly in Scotland.
Morris Pottinger, of Isauld, Dounreay, said the whole system had gone crazy and was only getting worse.
Beauly farmer Frank Nairn, the Tories’ prospective Westminster parliamentary candidate for Orkney and Shetland, said the inconsistency in enforcement was appalling.
Mr Stevenson agreed, saying the commission should be conducting more spot checks and penalising those that breached the rules.
Sheep farmer Charlie Angus, of Oldfield, Thurso, said many of the animals transported out of Caithness were hauled overnight to their destinations so avoiding any problem with heat.
Alistair Swanson, of Tister, said journeys from Caithness would be made easier if the roads to the south were improved, while Mr Nairn highlighted the benefits of keeping small abattoirs open because that meant shorter periods in floats for some stock.
NFU Scotland Highland manager Ian Wilson said there appeared no communication between veterinary authorities in certain parts of Europe to check on journey times. He urged an immediate improvement in standards elsewhere, saying that to change the legislation again would make it very difficult for livestock producers in the highlands an islands.
Those attending were unanimous in their opposition to any further change.
Mr Stevenson said he would take the views back to Brussels later this week.
He is also to seek meetings with agriculture commissioner Dacian Ciolos and health and consumers affairs commissioner John Dalli.