EU reset: Policy makers must be mindful of journey time motion, says NSA

Closer regulatory alignment with Europe must recognise the unique nature of UK sheep production and the importance of practical, science-led animal welfare policy, says the National Sheep Association (NSA).

Efforts to improve the UK/EU trading relationship with a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement should benefit farmers and wider industry through reduced bureaucratic burden and smoother movement of sheep products to Europe.  

However, NSA and wider livestock industry bodies are warning UK policy makers to scrutinise proposed changes to livestock transport and maximum journey times, Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005.

Also of importance is the need for government departments to discuss these with industry to ensure no damage is done to the UK livestock sector, already recognised as having high animal welfare standards.

Central to NSA’s concerns is the risk that regulations will fail to recognise time at market as neutral time. In 2025 9.5 million sheep were traded through a livestock market in England and Wales.

NSA Policy Manager Michael Priestley says: “At this stage the proposal is developing and has received hundreds of edits so far, but if the proposal were to become enshrined in law it could jeopardise big ram sales like the NSA Wales & Border Ram Sale held in September at Builth Wells and also other major sales such as Kelso. The could limit genetic progress and stock quality and make abattoir collection runs from northern England to Scotland unworkable restricting breeding sheep flow from uplands to lowlands.

“We have one industry that, Bluetongue restrictions aside, spans four nations and a long history of livestock markets that enable effective trade and bring social and environmental benefits all from the movement of livestock around the country.

“We have lost more than 1,000 abattoirs in the past forty years, which means some regions of the UK have very little slaughterhouse infrastructure. Similarly, the distances breeding stock must travel as the industry has become more specialist and professionalised means collection and journey times from Scotland to abattoirs based in Wales would fall outside of the suggested limits.

“There is nervousness in the industry that UK policy makers in the recent past have tried to increase regulatory requirements relating to livestock haulage and concern that the EU proposals may be pushing on an open door. The farming industry is united in calling for time at a market, collection centre or sale ground where animals have freedom to move, rest and drink should not be classed as journey time.”

NSA warns that blanket reductions in permitted journey time length could risk:

• Farm viability - Farms in isolated areas (uplands, highlands and islands) or arable areas without high livestock density may become unviable if animals cannot be transported to slaughter legally.
• Pastoral landscapes - Many of our protected landscapes are managed by grazing livestock in areas several hours from abattoir infrastructure. Destocking policies already threaten this sector and further pressure from journey time limits could threaten delicate ecosystems historically managed through grazing.
• Animal welfare and health - Shorter journey times may mean more piecemeal journeys resulting in additional unloading and re-loading, which research shows are key stressors for animals. Disease transmission could also be increased, particularly vector-borne diseases such as schmallenberg and bluetongue.  
• Inflationary impact - Adding cost and time into the livestock supply chain must be covered by somebody and at a time when the cost of living is challenging right across the UK and EU, regulatory burdens would likely add to costs and not reduce them.

NSA believes transport regulations should be proportionate, evidence-based and focused on animal outcomes rather than arbitrary time thresholds. High standards of vehicle design, stockmanship, journey planning and road use priority and enforcement are likely to deliver greater welfare benefits than inflexible journey limits alone.

Mr Priestley concludes: “The alternative to long journey times is more local and regional economies and trading patterns, but the trend for decades if not centuries has been for consolidation, as this has been the route to efficiency and margin for an industry pressured by supermarket buying power and food expenditure shrinking as a proportion of household outgoings.”

The UK sheep industry has a strong record of caring for livestock throughout their lives, and pastoral sheep farming continues to deliver significant environmental, cultural and economic benefits alongside high welfare standards. As discussions with the EU progress, the UK Government must ensure that sheep producers remain fully engaged in the development of any future transport rules.