LEGAL AND ECONOMIC-ASPECTS OF LONG-DISTAN CE-TRANSPORTS OF CATTLE

Transportation of cattle over a long distance is a quite actual topic. The target of this paper is to analyse the national and international cattle-transport with a view to the legal and the economic aspects. I t is based on an empirical investigation of the transportation-costs f or live cattles in Germany. The article summarizes the actual law, sta tistics and literature about the problem. In the last few months the l egal situation has changed in favour of animal protection. In conseque nce of a new law transportation of livestock in Germany is limited to eight hours. From the economical point of view long-distance-transport s of cattle, for example to increase the utilization of slaughtering p lants, can be efficient because of the differences of the local prices for cattle in Germany. If companies won't restrict themselves, transp ortation of life cattle will continue. The export of cattle to the Nea r East is very important for Germany. Responsible for that are economi cal and religious causes. At the beginning of 1996 EU-exportrestitutio ns for exporting meat of female cattle is higher than for exporting li ve female cattle. For exporting male cattle the situation is just oppo site.