Ministry of Health Department of Public Health, Food Safety and National Boards for Health Protection Directorate General Animal Health and Veterinary Drugs Dr. Gaetana Ferri Transport of animals Pratical Experience Member Country perspective Seminar for OIE National Focal Points for Animal Welfare of Europe Region Teramo, 5 March 2013
COMPETENT AUTHORITIES The Ministry of Health is the central body of the National Health Service to which are assigned the tasks entitled to the State concerning the protection of human health, coordination of the National Health System, veterinary health (including animal welfare), workplace health protection, hygiene and food safety, without prejudice to the exclusive competencies of the Regions, carried out through the Local Health Authorities. It represents the direct institutional counterpart of: European Commission OIE WHO EFSA EMEA
COMPETENT AUTHORITIES In Italy therefore, the competent Authorities relating animal welfare are the Ministry of Health and the autonomous Regions and Provinces, in their respective areas of competence. It is up to the competent Authorities to coordinate and plan all the activities relating the proper implementation of the specific national and EU rules on this matter.
COMPETENT AUTHORITIES The Ministry of Health adopts relevant EU rules and international conventions and ensures the coordination and the implementation of the activities relating animal welfare through: development of rules, implementation procedures, guidelines; training and information activities with the support of the National Reference Centre on Animal Welfare at the Istituto Zooprofilattico of Brescia; inspection and audit activities at local level; development of a National Plan for Animal Welfare; signature of specific bilateral agreements (protocols of understanding).
Organisation of inspections for animal protection during transport Italy is a major European crossroads for live animals trading, mainly as destination and transit country for Greece, Africa and Middle East. 1.3 million cattle, 1.35 million small ruminants, 1.2 million pigs, 45,000 horses and 7 million poultry were introduced in 2011. The enhancement of inspections efficiency and effectiveness is therefore very important in Italy, also considering the high probability to find irregularities on some major European crossroads for live animals transport, mainly involving cattle, pigs, sheep and horses.
Organisation of inspections for animal protection during transport In Italy, the Official Veterinarians and Police Bodies (mainly the Traffic and Forestry corps) are responsible for detecting any violation to the rules foreseen by the (EC) Regulation No 1/2005 on animals protection during transport. The Legislative Decree 151/2007 introduced administrative sanctions from 400 up to 15,000 for the violation of the rules foreseen by the (EC) Regulation No 1/2005 on animal protection during transport, in cases of violence or unnecessary suffering, or injury against the animal, unless the act constitutes a crime.
Organisation of inspections for animal protection during transport Moreover, due to past difficulties in obtaining the payment of the sanctions from transporters not residing in Italy, the mentioned legislative decree foresees as well the possibility to put foreign registered vehicles under administrative custody. In such cases the animals are sheltered - charging related expenses on the transgressor- in a place guaranteeing their welfare. In order to facilitate inspections, the Ministry of Health, in agreement with the autonomous Regions and Provinces, has identified throughout the country specific areas authorized for the unloading of animals in an emergency situation or for facilitating the custody of the means of transport, as per foreseen for by the afore-mentioned Legislative Decree 151/2007.
Organisation of inspections for animal protection during transport (EC) Regulation No 1/2005, in force as of January 2007 in the territory of the European Union, requires competent Authorities to carry out nondiscriminatory inspections on animals, vehicles and accompanying documents on an adequate proportion of the animals transported each year within each Member State. ANIMAL WELFARE NATIONAL PLAN in order to improve coordination and implementation of inspections on the national territory.
Animal Welfare National Plan In August 2008 the Veterinary Services of the Local Health Authorities launched the implementation of the Animal Welfare National Plan. Up to 2009, just planning of inspections on the welfare of farm animals. Starting from 2010, based on a risk assessment, the Animal Welfare National Plan has been updated with the introduction of inspections for protecting animals during transport and slaughtering.
Animal Welfare National Plan Risk criteria for planning inspections for the protection of animals during transport: 1. traffic routes with an high percentage of irregularities in the past; 2. repeated irregularities by some transporters; 3. Increased movement of some animal species in specific periods of the year (Easter and Christmas holidays); 4. reports of irregularities from European contact points (Art. 24 of Reg. EC No 1/2005) and protectionist associations; 5. transport of animal species for which Regulation 1/2005 lays down special requirements for transport (domestic equidae and unweaned animals for long-distance transport); 6. transport of animals in critical climatic conditions.
Animal Welfare National Plan Transports > 8 hours inspection of at least 10% of the vehicles arriving at the abattoir and of 5% of the animal consignments arriving at Control Posts. Transports < 8 hours inspection of at least 2% of the animal consignments arriving at the abattoir.
Animal Welfare National Plan The analysis of data on inspections carried out in 2011 showed that the number of sanctioned vehicles increased up to 250, in comparison with 162 in 2009 and 154 in 2010; violations, amounting to 330, increased more than proportionally, doubling in comparison with the 162 of 2009 and 154 of 2010; from 2009 to 2011, the number of sanctioned vehicles transporting cattle, pigs, sheep, goats and poultry increased, while those transporting horses decreased; Although violations are gradually increasing, it still remains to improve the quality and the purpose of the inspections made.
Protocol of Understanding between the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Health for strengthening legality inspections in the sector of live animals international transport Signed 3 October 2011, its goals: 1. Improvement of the quality and quantity of inspections on live animals transport by planning joint services between the Traffic Police and the Veterinary Offices for Compliance with Community Obligations (UVAC) of the Ministry of Health, as well as training of involved staff; 2. More targeted planning of inspections on live animals transport, by evaluating the distribution of controls in the territory on the basis of risk assessment (traffic routes with higher critical points, routes with an high amount of live animals traffic, analysis of previous inspections data, increasing movement of some species in specific periods of the year, repeated irregularities, etc.);
Protocol of Understanding between the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Health for strengthening legality inspections in the sector of live animals international transport 3. To ensure the legitimacy of international transport operations as well as fair competition; 4. To increase supervision of unauthorized live animals transports, not only for animal welfare purposes but also for the risks associated to animal health; 5. Information improvement on both the inspections made and the sanctions displayed by the Traffic Police to the Ministry of Health.
Protocol of Understanding between the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Health for strengthening legality inspections in the sector of live animals international transport The Central Divisions of the two involved Ministries establish the operational guidelines for planning inspections on the basis of the previous year's data, of detected critical points, as well as of the reports submitted by Protectionist Associations. The inspections planning is set and put into practice on a regional basis by the regional commands of the Traffic Police and by the relevant Veterinary Offices for Compliance with Community Obligations (UVAC) of the Ministry of Health. In 2012, 30 joint actions were planned (it is foreseen to double them in 2013) and more than 50 violations of the (EC) Regulation No 1/2005 rules were detected, mainly in long-distance transports.
Protocol of Understanding between the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Health for strengthening legality inspections in the sector of live animals international transport The relevant Central Divisions also define the training programme for Traffic Police officers as well as for Official Veterinarians. During 2012, approximately 100 policemen and veterinarians were trained during two events organized at the Traffic Police national training centre. For the year 2013, training has been intensified on a monthly basis, in order to create Traffic Police officers and Official Veterinarians units more specifically trained on operating procedures and measures to be taken during inspections on national and international live animal transports. In addition to theoretical training, it was also decided to organize practical sessions by arranging targeted inspections on the road.
OPERATING MANUALS The Ministry of Health, in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior, the Protectionist Associations and the National Federation of the Veterinarian Orders, developed a manual on Animal transportation and a manual on Procedures for carrying out inspections on EU movement of dogs and cats. The aim of drawing up operating manuals is to provide both Official Veterinarians and Police Force officers with a user-friendly tool, in order to facilitate and standardize inspections on the national territory.
OPERATING MANUALS Both manuals schematically describe the legal provisions on the protection of animals during transport (Regulation 1/2005) and the movement of dogs and cats within the European Union (Community rules), as well as the implementation of the National Law (Law 201/2010), providing full technical and legal details needed for carrying out inspections. The manuals are enriched with a set of tables briefly reporting the type of transgression in the case of criminal sanctions, or a description of the infringement in the case of administrative sanctions, the regulation or the article violated, and the associated sanction.
BILATERAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN ITALY AND THE NETHERLANDS Signed 20 October 2005 in order to achieve closer cooperation and more effective inspection activities on the protection of animals during transport in trade between the two countries, it is based on: 1. Ensuring proper inspection operations for the issuing of appropriate health certification, particularly with regard to density and journey times; 2. Addressing arising problems in close collaboration in order to undertake joint actions; 3. Joint preparation of proposals for implementing Regulation 1/2005; 4. Information exchange on respective inspection methods in order to uniform assessments on compliance with relevant rules; 5. Periodic checks on the implementation of the Protocol in the three following years.
BILATERAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN ITALY AND THE NETHERLANDS targeted checks have been conducted on not less than 30% of pigs consignments from Holland and on not less than 50% of pigs consignments for slaughter. Checks were performed during the first twenty days over a period of three non-consecutive months (April, July and September) for the years 2006, 2007 and 2008. In the event of transport irregularities findings, it was decided to check the following 5 consignments arriving from Holland, at the same slaughterhouse or farm.
BILATERAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN ITALY AND THE NETHERLANDS During 2006, 13 irregularities were detected on 55 checks carried out throughout the country; During 2007, 19 irregularities were detected on 99 checks; During 2008, only 5 irregularities were detected on 103 checks; 61% of the irregularities found involved the loading density and the lack of rest, 30% were document irregularities and 5% other irregularities such as lack of water or over-temperature during the journey. Contacts with the Netherlands are ongoing with the purpose to renew the agreement
Transport of dogs and cats In recent years, the illegal movement of puppies and kittens from Eastern Europe has significantly increased. In order to respond to this illicit movement and facilitate inspection activities by competent Authorities (Official Veterinarians and Police corps), the Ministry of Health has effectively collaborated to the approval of two important operational tools: 1. The procedural manual for the implementation of inspections in the EU movement dogs and cats, mentioned above; 2. Law no. 201 of 4 December 2010, the Law ratifying and implementing the European Convention for the protection of companion animals, and internal adaptation standards.
Transport of dogs and cats Law 201/2010 identifies penal and administrative type of irregularities for the illicit trafficking of companion animals. The penal sanctioned conduct is the crime of illicit trafficking of companion animals; Administrative sanctioned conducts foresee penalties for each animal illegally introduced, even without commercial purposes, ranging from 100 up to 2000.
Transport of dogs and cats The crime of illicit trafficking of companion animals punishes anyone who, in order to obtain a profit for itself or others, introduces, transports, sells, or receives on national territory dogs or cats with neither an individual identification system nor the required health certificates and not provided, if required, with an individual passport. Such conduct is punished with detention from 3 up to 12 months and with a fine of 3,000 up to 15,000.
Director General Gaetana Ferri sanita.animale@sanita.it +39 06.5994.6584 Directorate General Animal Health and Veterinary Drugs Department of Public Health, Food Safety and National Boards for Health Protection Ministry of Health Thank you for your attention