Climate control and space allowance during transport

This dossier aims to help Competent Authorities and other stakeholders with issues related to climate control and space allowance during transport of pigs. The dossier is updated periodically by the EURCAW-Pigs team. The text is meant to support Competent Authorities, and is not legally binding.

The legal requirements related to transport of pigs can be found in Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport and related operations. In EURCAW-Pigs' Thematic factsheet on climate control and space allowance [bijgevoegd voor opname in edepot], the relevant legal requirements are summarized and presented in conjunction with the two focus areas for inspections.

Based on the pigs’ physiological and behavioural needs, the welfare of animals during transport is for a significant part dependent on being able to i) thermoregulate effectively, including being able to access sources of water, and ii) on the ability of the animals to perform basic behaviours such as standing and lying, to adopt a normal position, to minimize risks for injuries, stress and panic. Good and better practices in pig transport were provided by e.g., the Animal Transport Guides project.

The recent EFSA opinion on transport of pigs (2022) considers that sows are more vulnerable to heat stress than pigs of lower body size. Among reasons given for this difference are their large body size and relative low surface area: body weight ratio, higher energy intake relative to maintenance requirement (in lactating sows), and higher subcutaneous fat tissues. The specific welfare risks of transporting cull sows to the abattoir - including the sensitivity of cull sows towards heat stress - are addressed in a EURCAW-Pigs review (see ‘Show more’).

Across EU member states, animal transport can be inspected at several types of locations. In addition, animal welfare and means of transport can be inspected by so-called roadside checks, where competent authorities, often assisted by police or similar, can require that vehicles are stopped and then perform inspection.

Welfare indicators can be used to facilitate welfare inspections during transport of pigs. For two key areas to focus on during inspections, EURCAW-Pigs identified relevant indicators to assess the welfare of pigs. Each indicator is described in an indicator factsheet, by suggesting an inspection and scoring method, and summarizing the underlying welfare concern and legal requirements.

In collaboration with national training bodies and national reference centers on animal welfare, EURCAW-Pigs develops training guides for the different welfare topics as standards for national training in EU Member States.