The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) is taking enforcement action against violations involving the long-distance transport of young calves from Ireland to the Netherlands. The authority states that unweaned calves may not be left without milk for more than nine hours during transport. However, on current journeys, they are left without milk for more than 30 hours. The NVWA is the first competent authority in Europe to take enforcement action against this practice.
Violations must stop
Today, four Irish transporters will receive notice of the NVWA’s intention to impose an order subject to periodic penalty payments. The NVWA is requiring them to stop the violations. The transport companies will be given one year to adapt their practices. After that period, the NVWA may impose financial penalties if further violations occur.
The NVWA has substantiated that unweaned calves may not be left without milk for longer than nine hours during transport. Transporters can avoid this violation by transporting calves only once they are at least two months old, or by limiting journeys involving younger calves to a maximum of eight hours.
Breakthroughbraak
The NVWA’s action follows an enforcement request submitted in 2024 by Eyes on Animals, Ethical Farming Ireland and Dier&Recht. After years of legal proceedings, the animal welfare organizations are relieved by this breakthrough. Eyes on Animals and Ethical Farming Ireland have been monitoring the transport of young Irish calves for more than ten years.
Caroline Rowley, director of Ethical Farming Ireland: “It’s great to see an authority finally taking a stand to ensure legislation is respected. It’s just a shame this action isn’t coming from Ireland. Numerous studies have shown how much these young and vulnerable animals suffer due to extended feed deprivation during these long journeys, so we very much welcome this move by the NVWA. The Dutch authorities care more about the welfare of Irish calves than our own government does.”
Lesley Moffat, ethologist and director of Eyes on Animals: “Legislation only protects animals if someone actually checks what happens along the way. We recorded the journey times and documented that calves barely three weeks old were left without milk for more than 30 hours. That fieldwork forms the basis for the enforcement request that has now finally prompted the NVWA to take action.”
Frederieke Schouten, director of Dier&Recht and veterinarian: “This step strikes at the very foundation of these transports. The calves must be given warm milk individually during the journey, but this is not practically feasible in a fully loaded truck. The calves are still far too young and need help drinking from a teat. We expect the Dutch veal sector, including VanDrie Group, to finally take both the welfare of these animals and the law seriously and to stop importing unweaned Irish calves.”
