European Convention for the Protection of Animals during International Transport (revised) The Member States of the Council of Europe, signatory hereto, Considering that the aim of the Council of Europe is to achieve a greater unity between its members for the purpose of safeguarding and realising the ideals and principles which are their common heritage, Aware that every person has a moral obligation to respect all animals and to have due consideration for their capacity for suffering, Motivated by the desire to safeguard the welfare of animals during transport, Convinced that international transport is compatible with the welfare of the animals, provided that the requirements of animal welfare are met, Considering, therefore, that where the welfare requirements of the animals cannot be met an alternative to the transport of live animals shall be implemented, Considering, however, that in general, for reasons of animal welfare the period during which animals, including animals for slaughter, are transported should be reduced as far as possible, Considering that loading and unloading are activities during which injuries and stress are most likely to occur, Considering that progress in this respect may be achieved through the adoption of common provisions regarding the international transport of animals, Have agreed as follows: GENERAL PRINCIPLES Article 1 Definitions 1. «International transport» , means any movement from one country to another, but excludes, however, journeys of less than 50 km and movements between Member States of the European Community. 2. An «authorised veterinarian» , means a veterinarian nominated by the competent authority. 3. «Person responsible for the transport of the animals» , means the person with overall control over the organisation, carrying out and completion of the whole journey, regardless of whether duties are subcontracted to other parties during transport. Such a person is usually the person who plans, makes arrangements for and defines the conditions to be met by other parties. 4. «Person in charge of the welfare of the animals» , means the person who has direct physical responsibility for the care of the animals during transport. Such a person may be the attendant or the driver of a vehicle if fulfilling the same role. 5. «Container» , means any crate, box, receptacle or other rigid container used for the transport of animals which is not self-propelled and is not a part (whether detachable or not) of a means of transport. 6. «Transporter» , means a natural or legal person transporting animals, either on his own account or for a third party. Article 2 Species 1. This Convention applies to the international transport of all vertebrate animals. 2. With the exception of Article 4(1) and Article 9(1) and (2)(a) and (c), the provisions of this Convention do not apply: (a) where a single animal is accompanied by the person who is responsible for it during transport; (b) to the transport of pet animals accompanying their owner if not for commercial purposes. Article 3 Application of the Convention 1. Each Party shall apply the provisions governing the international transport of animals contained in this Convention and be responsible for effective control and supervision. 2. Each Party shall take the necessary steps to ensure an effective system of training taking into account the provisions of the present Convention. 3. Each Party shall endeavour to apply the relevant provisions in this Convention to animals being transported within its territory. 4. The Parties shall provide mutual assistance in applying the provisions of the Convention, in particular by exchanging information, discussing interpretation and notifying problems. Article 4 Main principles of the Convention 1. Animals shall be transported in a way which safeguards their welfare, including health. 2. As far as possible, animals shall be transported without delay to their place of destination. 3. At control points, priority shall be given to consignments of animals. 4. Animals shall only be detained where this is strictly necessary for their welfare or for disease control purposes. If animals are detained, appropriate arrangements shall be made for their care and, where necessary, their unloading and accommodation. 5. Each Party shall take the necessary measures to avoid or reduce to a minimum the suffering of animals in cases where strikes or other unforeseeable circumstances impede the strict application of the provisions of this Convention in its territory. It will be guided for this purpose by the principles set out in this Convention. 6. Nothing in this Convention shall affect the implementation of other instruments concerning sanitary and veterinary control. 7. Nothing in this Convention shall affect the liberty of the Parties to adopt stricter measures for the protection of animals during international transport. Article 5 Authorisation of transporters 1. Each Party shall ensure that