For over thirty years enforcement of EU law on the protection of animals has been poor.

The main breaches of EU law that are regularly observed include:

• The transport of unfit animals
• Stocking densities often exceed the maximum densities permitted by Regulation 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport
• Animals are frequently given too little headroom
• The Regulation’s maximum permitted temperature is often exceeded
• The Regulation’s requirements on feed and water are frequently breached. In some cases water tanks are empty or the drinking devices do not work or they are the wrong type for the species being carried or are positioned in such a way that the animals cannot reach them
• The Regulation’s requirements on the provision of rest are often ignored
• In some cases insufficient bedding is provided; in other cases it becomes filthy in the later stages of the journey.