Project 1882 calls for a ban on animal transport to the Middle East

The port of Haifa, a primary arrival point for livestock vessels entering Israel, is in an area exposed to missile attacks. Attacks have occurred close to ships loaded with animals. Other countries receiving animal transports from Europe – such as Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia – are also located in or near areas currently affected by armed conflict. The maritime routes used to transport animals from the EU to these Middle Eastern countries pass through or close to major war zones. 

The situation is urgent. Every transport leaving the EU puts animals at risk of ending up in the middle of a war zone. This is unacceptable and must be stopped immediately. 

– Benny Andersson, CEO of Project 1882

Project 1882, together with other organizations, has called on the EU Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, Olivér Várhelyi, to ensure that animal transports from the EU to the Middle East are halted. The following demands have been put forward in the letter: 

• Immediately urge EU Member States to suspend the export of live animals to Israel and other destinations in the Middle East affected by the ongoing war.
• Review ongoing animal transports and ensure measures are in place to prevent animals from being left in unsafe conditions.
• Conduct an urgent evaluation of the systemic failures that enable these exports to continue. Legislation is needed to ensure that animals are never exposed to extreme risks such as these. 

The EU has a responsibility to ensure that animals are never sent to places where their safety cannot be guaranteed. The fact that exports continue despite an active war shows just how weak the protection for animals is today. 

– Benny Andersson

At the EU level, work is underway to update and develop new animal welfare legislation. Transport regulations are one of the areas under review. There are major disagreements about how the new transport legislation should be designed.  

Project 1882 continues to push for change. A ban on the export of animals to countries outside the EU is needed, along with shorter transport times, strict rules on temperature and space, and stricter rules for transporting particularly vulnerable animals. Transport of live animals for slaughter or breeding must urgently be replaced by the transport of meat and genetic material. As of today, it is unclear when a vote on the transport legislation will take place in the European Parliament. 

Public support for stricter animal transport rules is strong. More than eight out of ten EU citizens are concerned about animal welfare during transport and want to see tougher regulations, according to a public opinion survey conducted between October and November 2025 in nine EU countries. 

Read the letter to EU Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi here.