Once again, serious violations have been uncovered in the transport of calves from Ireland. Last Sunday, May 4, a driver from the Dutch transport company Van Os, was arrested by the Catalan police (Mossos d’Esquadra) in the Spanish province of Girona. He was transporting dozens of unweaned calves from Ireland to a farm near Barcelona—a journey spanning several days.
During a roadside inspection, authorities discovered that the tachograph fuse had been deliberately disconnected, allowing the truck to operate without recording the legally mandated driving and rest times. Upon arrival in the French town of Carcassonne, the driver also entered a false rest period on his driver card to conceal the fraud.
Alcohol, overloading, and lack of certifications
Tampering with the tachograph was not the only offense. The driver also had a blood alcohol level above the legal limit while transporting unweaned calves. Furthermore, the truck was overloaded and exceeded the height limits set by Spanish regulations. Finally, it was revealed that the driver did not possess a Certificate of Professional Competence (CAP).
While these actions were committed by a single driver, they raise serious concerns about the practices and oversight within Van Os as a company. It is possible that such behavior stems from a company culture that prioritizes delivery speed and profit over legal compliance and animal welfare.
Criminal prosecution
The driver appeared in court in Girona on Monday. He now faces criminal prosecution and may face several sanctions. However, in our opinion, the role of company management in fostering a culture of lawbreaking should also be scrutinized during the legal process.
Structural deprivation of milk during transport
Research by Eyes on Animals and Ethical Farming Ireland shows that violations during the import of Irish calves are not isolated incidents. Year after year, the organizations document that Irish calves are deprived of milk for more than 30 hours during the first leg of their journey—from collection points in Ireland to the rest stop near Cherbourg. This violates the European Transport Regulation 1/2005, which requires calves to be fed after a maximum of 19 hours. These violations were once again documented this year. Furthermore, drivers often fill out transport documents incorrectly and incompletely, and calves are often handled with extreme brutality at rest stops.
