Overview
The analysis is based on the legislative file 2023/0448(COD) concerning a proposed Regulation on the protection of animals during transport and related operations. The procedure is ongoing under the ordinary legislative procedure, with the European Parliament currently awaiting a committee decision at first reading. The core objective of the initiative is to update and replace older legislation, with a significant proposed expansion to include aquatic animals (fish, cephalopods, decapods) based on scientific evidence of sentience, a group previously excluded from EU animal welfare rules during transport. The examined source documents include a draft opinion from the European Parliament's Committee on Fisheries (PECH-PA-768036_EN) and a Council Presidency information note (ST 16443 2025 INIT) detailing the state of play in technical negotiations.
Legislative timeline
The file was referred to the European Parliament's lead committee in February 2024. Procedural activity intensified in early 2025, with the committee opinion tabled in January, the committee report tabled in March, and a series of committee amendments tabled in April 2025. The most recent recorded event is the tabling of committee amendments on 16 April 2025. In the Council, the Danish Presidency provided a state-of-play update in late 2025, noting that the proposal was scheduled as an "Any Other Business" item for the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting of 11-12 December 2025, indicating ongoing political-level discussions following technical negotiations.
Institutional handling
The lead committee in the European Parliament is the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN). The Committee on Fisheries (PECH) has provided a draft opinion, indicating its vested interest in the provisions concerning aquatic animals. The European Commission's lead service is the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (SANTE), under the responsibility of Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi. In the Council, the dossier is handled by the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (TTE) configuration, though progress updates are also communicated to the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, reflecting the cross-cutting nature of the file between transport and agricultural policy.
Stakeholder reactions
Stakeholder engagement has been extensive, with 268 documented meetings held primarily with Members of the European Parliament (253 meetings), along with 10 meetings with Commissioners and 5 with European Commission staff. These involved 166 distinct organisations. The most active entities in these interactions include Eurogroup for Animals, the European Rabbit Association, Grupo Vall Companys, the European Forum of Farm Animal Breeders, and the Nordic Logistics Association. Specific positions from stakeholder outreach indicate divergent views on the proposed requirements. For instance, HKFoods Finland Oy expressed support for the rules but argued for flexibility and reduced burden due to geographic and climatic conditions. Conversely, The European Horse Network (EHN) also expressed support but advocated for exemptions and amendments, describing some proposed transport rules as 'unworkable'.
Media coverage
No media coverage data was provided in the source materials for this analysis.