The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is currently reviewing plans by Dutch authorities to fine Irish calf transporters.

The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) is proposing to impose fines on four Irish companies that transport calves to the Netherlands.

The authority has claimed the young unweaned calves are not being adequately fed while being transported to the Netherlands.

Agriland understands that the Irish companies, which are not named by the agency, have been given a year to adjust their transport arrangements.

Following this period, a penalty payment of €3,000 per transport violation will be applied. This fine can increase up to €27,000 for subsequent violations.

The NVWA is the administrative orders "are consistent with the most ambitious objective of the Dutch veal sector: to end the import of Irish calves by 2028".

Calves

In a statement, a spokesperson for Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon told Agriland that the Dutch authorities wrote to DAFM on Tuesday (September 8).

The letter outlined NVWA's "intention to commence enforcement actions regarding non-compliance with feeding intervals during long-distance transport of unweaned calves from Ireland".

The spokesperson said that the department "is currently reviewing the contents of the correspondence".

They added that Ireland "requires the highest standards of animal welfare at every stage of the animal’s life, including during transport".

"The transport of live animals to other member states is a private commercial activity that is regulated by my department in accordance with EU and National Regulations.

"Ireland adheres to the provisions of the relevant EU regulation for this sector – Council Regulation (EC) No. 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport and related operations and has continuously reinforced its practical, administrative and legislative measures to protect the welfare of animals during transport," the spokesperson said.

Exports

Over 200,000 calves have been exported from Ireland to date this year, with the Netherlands being the largest market destination for these animals on a per head basis.

These calves are transported by sea from Ireland to France before being transported by road to the Netherlands where they are mostly used for veal production.

Minister Heydon's spokesperson said that Irish calves are "highly valued by other member states who have veal industries". They added that "there is very limited demand for veal in Ireland".