THE AUSTRIAN ANIMAL TRANSPORT REGULATIONS

Austria has translated the European agreement on the protection of ani mals during international transport into national law by passing the a nimal (road) transport act. Important regulations in this act concern the limits on the transport of animals for slaughter in terms of time and the space allotted, the need to examine the animals for fitness fo r transport and the care of the animals by trained personnel during tr ansport. Still lacking however are important detailed regulations on e quipment of the means of transport, maximum permitted loading densitie s, training for those in charge of animal transport, etc. It will depe nd on these regulations whether actual progress in the sense of improv ed animal protection during animal transport can be achieved. In view, however, of a number of unclear formulations in the animal transport act and of the confused special and interim regulations for the transp ort of animals for slaughter there would seem to be doubts about the p ractical aspects of putting the regulations into effect.