LEGAL LEGISLATION ON ANIMAL TRANSPORT IN NORTH MACEDONIA AND ITS ALIGNMENT WITH EU LEGISLATION

Abstract

Animal transport is a crucial aspect of veterinary practice and has a significant impact on the health and welfare of animals. Therefore, EU Regulation No. 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport precisely regulates legal legislation, control and monitoring mechanisms, and transport conditions, including maximum transport times and rest periods, specific requirements for transport vehicles, and obligations of transporters and organizers. Harmonization of North Macedonia's legislation with EU law is a prerequisite for the country to become an equal member of the EU, considering its candidate status since 2005. Hence, the standards of EU Regulation No. 1/2005 are regulated in several laws and bylaws in North Macedonia. The basic rules for animal transport are regulated by the Law on Animal Protection and Welfare (2014) and the Law on Veterinary Health (2007). The Law on Animal Protection and Welfare regulates the basic rules for animal transport, including participants involved in animal transport and necessary documentation, responsibilities of transporters, training and certification of transporters, vehicle certification, penalties, etc. Pursuant to this law, the Rulebook on the Protection and Welfare of Animals During Transport was adopted, aligned with EU Regulation 1/2005 from 2017, which more specifically regulates the general legal norms such as the form, content, and method of keeping a travel diary, conditions collection centres must meet concerning animal protection and welfare; animal loading, unloading, and handling procedures, construction and equipment of transport vehicles, ventilation, and temperature monitoring in road transport vehicles, etc. Meanwhile, the Law on Veterinary Health regulates the competencies of the Food and Veterinary Agency (FVA) to supervise animal transport (official veterinarians, their authorizations, and duties), impose penalties and other types of sanctions on transporters (individuals and legal entities), approvals of transporters and transport vehicles, and similar. Thus, North Macedonia has formally regulated most of the EU standards for animal welfare during transport. However, for proper implementation, more frequent controls by official veterinarians, greater awareness, training of transporters on animal welfare, and better alignment of the Rulebook on the Protection and Welfare of Animals During Transport with EU Regulation are needed, particularly the fact that the regulation has not been amended since 2017. Additionally, strategies and other documents on animal welfare by EFSA, based on EU legislation, are of particular importance to North Macedonia.