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Author: Keith McKinley

Sustainable Gatwick Airport Warehouse

Posted on by Keith McKinley

St. Modwen Logistics, one of the UK’s leading logistics developers and managers, has completed the construction of a second warehouse at St. Modwen Park Gatwick for DHL Group. The company, which has been a tenant at the park since 2011 and already occupies a 64,000 sq ft unit, has signed a 15-year lease for the new facility.

The c.115,000 sq ft warehouse is set to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating and is EPC A+ rated, achieving the highest possible level of energy efficiency. The warehouse’s green credentials also include the installation of 1,900 sqm of PV panels on the roof to generate renewable energy needed to power the building’s 12,000 sq ft of Grade A office space and ensure it is net-zero carbon in operation.

Active and sustainable travel will be encouraged at the park with 28 EV charging spaces installed as well as the inclusion of cycle bays and shower and changing facilities. The landscaped site includes hedgerows and plants, which will result in a biodiversity net gain of 39%, as well as new amenity areas for both local communities and DHL Group staff, including a trim trail, cycle path and outdoor gym equipment.

Situated just 3km from Gatwick airport, alongside Junction 10 of the M23, St. Modwen Park Gatwick provides excellent links to central London. This location is beneficial to companies looking to be close to Gatwick Airport as well as to the main motorway routes into central London. DTRE and BNP Paribas are the retained leasing agents for St. Modwen Park Gatwick.

Ellen Thomas, Senior Development Manager at St. Modwen Logistics, commented: “We are proud to announce the completion of our new, sustainable warehouse at St. Modwen Park Gatwick for DHL Group. This is a state-of-the-art warehouse facility that will support up to 150 jobs, helping to sustain a thriving local economy. This is DHL Group’s second development on the site, underlining how we are working in partnership with our customers to deliver the high-quality, bespoke spaces they need to succeed.”

Jake Huntley, Partner at DTRE, commented: “We are observing more occupiers focusing on energy efficient accommodation and we are proud to have been able to offer St. Modwen Park Gatwick to environmentally conscious customers. The success of the scheme is testament to St. Modwen’s ability to deliver critical logistics infrastructure to the highest standards.”

AI to Learning Logistics Centre

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Unitechnik Systems GmbH will be presenting UniWare-AI, the AI-based assistant for logistics systems, at LogiMAT 2024. The AI tool will support the system integrator’s customers in predicting order loads and bottlenecks in the material flow, for example. Visitors to the trade fair can find out more about the project, which was developed in collaboration with the Technical University of Cologne, at Stand H20 in Hall 1.

The new feature of the UniWare warehouse management system provides warehouse managers with an intelligent assistant. Based on data from the logistics software, the AI tool provides recommendations and insights. For example, it can predict how many order items will need to be processed over the next few days. Using data from the logistics system, the AI assistant can suggest the best way to place items in the warehouse or analyse the causes of breakdowns to make predictive maintenance recommendations. The more data the system receives over time, the more the AI model learns – the learning logistics centre becomes a reality.

Better AI model thanks to external data

The predictive quality of UniWare AI can be significantly improved by incorporating external data from other customer systems. For example, historical order data from the ERP system or data on seasonal characteristics or weather data from external sources can be integrated. Unitechnik’s experts create these data models individually for each user. Together with the customer, they optimise the use of UniWare-AI step by step. UniWare-AI is already being tested at DEHN SE to optimise personnel scheduling. Using the data from the AI model, the electrical engineering company can predict with a high degree of probability the workload for order picking over the next few days. The pilot project was developed in collaboration with the Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering at the Technical University of Cologne.

LogiMAT motto: Logistics in time

For Unitechnik, the motto of this year’s LogiMAT is “Logistics in rhythm: warehouse management system with AI power”. As the conductor of the (warehouse) orchestra, the UniWare warehouse management system coordinates the customer’s increasingly diverse system components. In addition to traditional warehouse and conveyor technology components, soloists (autonomous subsystems) such as AMR or AGV systems are increasingly becoming part of the orchestra. UniWare is the (artificial) brain of the logistics centre. It ensures the harmonious interaction of the players and, with its AI power, constant optimisation.

New 3PL Subsidiary in Vietnam

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Logistics company Militzer & Münch is growing in Asia. M&M Militzer & Münch Vietnam Co. Ltd. starts operations today. The new country unit offers the full range of logistics services, with a special focus on air and sea transports.

The Militzer & Münch Group is pursuing a growth strategy in the Asia / Far East / Oceania region. Most recently, a new company was founded in New Zealand in 2022. After M&M China, M&M Malaysia, M&M Sri Lanka and M&M New Zealand, M&M Vietnam is now the fifth national subsidiary in the region. It is located in Ho Chi Minh City. The 9 million-strong metropolis on the South China Sea is both the economic center of the country and an important transport hub for Southeast Asia.

Significant development opportunities

Militzer & Münch focuses on promising markets in the region and considers the location to have great potential for further growth: “Within a few years, Vietnam has developed from one of the world’s poorest nations to a middle-income country,” says Andreas Löwenstein, Regional Managing Director Asia / Far East at Militzer & Münch. “We therefore see good opportunities for successful development while at the same time strengthening our network in the region with the new country unit.”

Militzer & Münch Vietnam will serve many different industries in import as well as in export. A large part of the transport volume will be generated by sea and air transportation. Peter Schüpbach, who previously held various management positions, is heading the new subsidiary.

The Militzer & Münch Group employs a staff of about 2,300 people at over 100 locations in 33 countries. Strategic partnerships in numerous other countries complete the dense network. Militzer & Münch offers worldwide air and sea freight services as well as road and rail transports and project logistics along the East-West axis in Eurasia and North Africa. The Group operates with a dense network of branch offices in Eastern Europe, the CIS, the Middle East and the Far East as well as in the Maghreb countries. The head office of the company that goes back to 1880 is in Sankt Gallen, Switzerland.

Supply Chain Trend Predictions

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Mark Morley, Senior Director, Product Marketing at OpenText, provides his supply chain trend forecast for the year ahead.

1. Embracing conversational AI across tomorrow’s supply chains: Companies have been embarking on a journey of digitizing their supply chains for many years. In fact, that journey started in the 1960s as large companies around the world started to embrace EDI communication and document standards. It is surprising today how many companies have not completely digitized their supply chain operations, and as a result, they are not able to realize the significant benefits and ROI that digitizing the supply chain can bring. In 2024, we will see more companies looking to obtain greater value and insights from the data being exchanged across their business ecosystem. As a technology, ‘Big Data’ has been around since 2010, but in 2024, we will see explosive growth in the use of Generative AI solutions and especially Conversational AI solutions in the supply chain sector. The ability to have a ‘conversation with a business network’ that is connected to all your business systems and your external trading partner community will be of tremendous value to companies of all sizes, offering accelerating supplier onboarding to optimizing logistics flows, from improving inventory management to accelerating payments between parties. Conversational AI is set to change how users interact with their business networks.

2. Leveraging a business network for ESG and SCOPE 3 reporting: Business networks connect global supply chains across many different sectors, they are pervasive and reach into almost any business system and out to any trading partner or information source. Companies using business networks have been able to obtain an indirect benefit for many years, digitizing and automating paper-based processes helps to save paper and of course billions of trees around the world. Developing more sustainable supply chains has been the goal of all supply chain and procurement leaders around the world. With the introduction of new ESG mandates worldwide, companies are being forced to make significant changes to their supply chain operations. Business networks allow companies to not only exchange information digitally, but they can also derive powerful insights to help optimize up and downstream processes and comply with regional compliance mandates. From adhering to the Dodd Frank Conflict Minerals law in the US to ensuring that all companies in Germany embrace the ‘Act on Due Diligence in Supply Chains’, ethical and sustainable sourcing will become a required business practice moving forwards. In 2024, we expect more companies to draft similar regulations, which are expected to include the newer SCOPE 3 regulations. Companies will become responsible for monitoring the carbon emissions produced at every tier of their supply chain and transporting goods across each tier. Business networks will become central to the exchange of ESG and SCOPE 3 information, and we will likely see new EDI transactions emerge or existing transactions updated to include information about ESG and SCOPE 3 reporting.

3. How intelligent command centres provide supply chain leaders with actionable insights: As global supply chains strive to mitigate the risk and impact of disruptive events; visibility is key to making timely and accurate decisions. However, simply having access to relevant information is not enough, but users will need to identify the right information to focus on at any given time based on their role and responsibilities. Supplier risk indicators, performance benchmarks, extreme weather phenomena, labour disputes, and many other pieces of information are all potentially relevant to supply chains operations, but only meaningful if you can identify how they will impact your business and what steps can be taken to mitigate these impacts. To move from simply having information to leveraging it to drive meaningful action, organizations will need enabling technology. In 2024, we are likely to see the traditional supply chain control towers increasingly being replaced or complemented by intelligent command centre capabilities that go beyond KPI tracking by allowing users to access more insights and get guidance on where they need to focus. This will require bringing together various technical capabilities from role-based access and diverse data integration to specialized user interfaces and AI-assisted analytics features. As with most complex IT solutions, one size will not fit all, and flexibility and adaptability will be crucial for success.

4. Rebalancing B2B resources to meet the needs of tomorrow’s integration activities: With the global business landscape undergoing major changes, companies need to be able to adapt quickly to stay competitive. Technology plays a key role in this. Pressures around digital transformation are impacting businesses of all sizes, and despite the economic headwinds faced by most companies, the level of investment in digital technologies remains high. While modernization and new technology adoption create many opportunities, they also increase complexity and create a need for more integration between different systems and applications—both internally and across the extended business ecosystem. As we move into 2024 and beyond, companies need to adjust their IT resources to match the changes in requirements. This includes rebalancing their B2B integration resources to meet the demand around increased connectivity and process automation with external business partners. Yet, due to the diverse nature of B2B connectivity, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to hire and retain staff with the right skills and expertise to manage complex integration projects. As many seasoned professionals around some of the core technologies still actively used today are retiring from the workforce, companies need to identify a continuity plan for B2B integration. This will drive many organizations to partner more closely with managed service providers that can offer the range of skills needed on an on-demand basis to ensure both availability and optimal utilization of the required resources.

5. Digital Product Passports will simplify the journey towards the Circular Economy: Digitizing a product is not a novel concept as the digital twin has gained traction in product design, testing and usage. But adding in the identity-centric models, such as a digital passport adds new use cases and also some new challenges. 2024 will see a renewed interest in digital twins leveraging the digital passport to drive sustainability projects, especially those mandated by government regulations. The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation in the European Union is a good example of these regulations. The proposal for a new Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), is the cornerstone of the Commission’s approach to more environmentally sustainable and circular products. One of the key challenges is governing who should have access to the digital passport data, such as location or the personal data of the user of the product. This could be especially problematic in highly regulated industries such as healthcare where patient data must be protected but still be utilized by the authorized groups. The digital passport needs a strong governance and authentication system for its true value to be realized. If implemented with a strong security posture it can be a key part of a product’s digital transformation that gives insight into the initial use and throughout the product’s lifecycle. Digital passports will give manufacturers of any size, valuable data that can be used to improve product design as well as enhance the customer experience.

Point of Origin Quality Control in Morocco

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Leading freight forwarding and logistics company, Davies Turner is launching the tried-and-tested point of origin quality control and compliance procedures developed for clients sourcing from Turkey, into a new operation for clients sourcing from Morocco.

The development has seen Davies Turner open a quality control inspection facility with its partner in Morocco for a large online fashion retailer, which sources product from the country, for shipment to fulfilment centres in the UK, the USA and mainland Europe.

Until recently, Davies Turner has provided in-country warehousing, consolidation and overland trailer services from Morocco to the client’s fulfilment centres in the UK and mainland Europe, as well as air and ocean freight services to the fulfilment centres in North America.

Quality control on the commodities contained in those shipments typically took place at the fulfilment centres once the trailers arrived at destination, with products not featuring on the retailer’s website as being available for order until they had cleared all quality control procedures after delivery to the fulfilment centres.

With the new system, those quality control procedures will take place upstream in Tangier. This means that any items from a consignment that are selected for a quality control check, which fail to meet the online retailer’s quality achievement rate, will achieve an earlier fault/concern capture from the consignment origin, enabling them to be returned to the supplier in country for reprocessing.
This will facilitate a reduction in the possibility of ‘sub standard’ product departing from the origin hub in Morocco, which improves freight and transportation costs, whilst also reducing ‘sub standard’ product arriving at the fulfilment centres overseas, improving space and labour costs at those centres.

Alan Williams, Director of Davies Turner & Co Ltd says: “Based on past experience in Turkey, this re-engineering of the management of these particular aspects of the online retailer’s supply chain should improve the overall transit times from receipt of consignments in Tangier to availability on the online retailer’s website for purchase. The point of origin quality control process takes place on the day after arrival of the shipments into the Tangier freight hub.

“The re-engineered service is underpinned by our award-winning P2D (purchase to delivery) software system. This is a system that has been designed in house by our IT and business analyst team, which provides an online portal that enables customers to monitor and manage shipments at SKU & Purchase Order (PO) level, delivering full visibility of products moving through their supply chain for all concerned.

“By re-engineering the part of the online retailer’s supply chain for which we are responsible we are improving visibility from origin, of product quality, appearance, composition, compliance and presentation. Through the application of the P2D online portal, we are improving reporting tools for the online retailer on supplier trends, performance, developments and successes. We are also improving lead times for the client from point of origin reception through to the the availability to sell, whilst reducing costs at various points in the supply chain.”

Cargo Management System Goes Live

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Menzies Aviation, the service partner to the world’s airports and airlines, together with leading technology services and consulting company, Wipro have announced the successful launch of its new Menzies Aviation Cargo Handling (MACH) cargo management system.

Following the successful launch of Menzies’ cargo operation at Bucharest Otopeni Airport (OTP) in Romania, the MACH system will be deployed initially at 10 air cargo locations, with plans to implement the system across Menzies’ global network by the end of 2024. The partnership between Menzies Aviation and Wipro has combined Menzies’ extensive knowledge and expertise in air cargo operations with Wipro’s cutting-edge technology capabilities. In just over 12 months since signing the contract, it has delivered a pioneering, end-to-end cargo management system, MACH, which is set to transform Menzies operations across the network.

MACH represents a significant enhancement on Menzies’ current cargo management system, boasting a modern user interface (UI) with easy to use navigation, making it exceptionally user friendly for all stakeholders. Its cloud-based architecture ensures accessibility from anywhere, anytime and on any device, providing real-time insights and data.

Operating from a ‘single source of truth,’ MACH seamlessly integrates with other systems helping to simplify and standardise all processes. An integral part of the cargo management ecosystem, it improves data accuracy as all electronic information is populated automatically across the system. MACH’s drive to standardise is matched by its ability to generate bespoke solutions where necessary. The system can create and automate checklists for specific tasks, while tailored employee development pathways mean that warehouse staff only ever receive training relevant to their roles.

Its open architecture approach ensures that Menzies and its customers leverage their existing technology investments while benefiting from the advantages of MACH. The launch of its state-of-the-art MACH cargo handling system as well as its recent award win in partnership with Dexory for its Robot Mimi exemplifies the company’s efforts to provide world class innovative technology solutions to its customers.

Beau Paine, Global Head of Cargo, Menzies Aviation said: “We are excited to embark on the journey to deliver MACH to our customers in Bucharest. It is said, technology is best when it brings people together and we are very proud of the accomplishments of our team and Wipro over the last 12 months. We can’t wait to accelerate the implementation plan in continuing to roll out MACH across the wider network in the months to come.”

Rory Fidler, VP Cargo Technology, Menzies Aviation, said: “I am incredibly proud of the team and partnership that we have developed with Wipro. Their knowledge and experience have been vital to bringing our vision to life and developing a truly game-changing product for the industry. In just 13 months, we have achieved an incredible feat, which has been underpinned by hard work. From a six page briefing document to five million lines of code, 3,000 test scripts and more, we are excited to develop a truly innovative platform for the Menzies Cargo Network.”

Omkar Nisal, Managing Director UK& Ireland, Wipro Limited, said: “We are proud of our partnership in helping Menzies transform their cargo business through the deployment of Wipro’s state-of-the-art cargo handling solution. Working together leveraging our leading technology capabilities and combining it with Menzies’ deep aviation knowledge is a reflection of Wipro’s ethos. We’re delighted to be able to help Menzies realise their ambitions through technology and innovation.”

Subha Tatavarti, Chief Technology Officer, Wipro Limited, said: “With our vision to transform industries through technology and invent the future of enterprises, we continue to be excited and grateful for the opportunity to work with Menzies to transform the cargo handling industry through our aviation products. In partnership with Menzies, we built a modern, scalable solution that will not only cater to one of the world’s leading cargo handlers, but will open the door to building an industry-changing aviation platform. We look forward to our continued success with Menzies.”

Menzies will roll out MACH to ten air cargo locations – Macau in China; Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland in New Zealand; Sangster Intl. and Kingston Jamaica in Jamaica; Ontario, Vancouver, Calgary in Americas; and Amman in MEAA – by the end of Q1 2024, with plans to implement it across the Menzies’ global network by the end of 2024.

The Name’s Bond, Dry Bond

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Ambitious logistics fulfilment specialist Europa Warehouse has fully achieved Customs Warehouse Authorisation by HMRC, marking the next major step in its warehouse investment programme to better support the pain points of traditional and ecommerce retailers.

This latest authorisation means that Europa Warehouse is authorised to store general goods that are subject to customs and VAT. This, coupled with, Europa’s ‘wet bond’ accreditation provides a real advantage for customers managing tight cashflows, allowing them to suspend customs, excise and VAT payments until their goods are sold.

Dionne Redpath (pictured), Head of Warehouse Division and COO of Europa Worldwide Group, comments: “With the current economic headwind putting strain on ecommerce, retailers and wholesalers everywhere, many of our customers are managing tight cashflows. This is pain point we have a long-held ambition to solve.

“Customs Bonded Warehousing can assist, allowing traders to import goods into the UK, hold them in the Bonded Warehouse without having to outlay Duty and VAT until goods have been sold and dispatched. For example, if an importer purchases gym equipment which attracts four per cent duty, the duty and VAT will be suspended until the importer sells the cargo in the UK.

“This is a real cashflow benefit because it means goods can be stored ahead of seasonal peaks without our warehouse customers footing heavy duty costs immediately. Instead, businesses can accurately anticipate supply and demand, while only paying necessary duties on items that leave the warehouse, typically after they have been sold.”

Europa Warehouse has operated Wet Bonds at each of its sites for some time, giving importers or sellers of alcohol the ability to delay costly excise duties until items are picked for sale and dispatch. The UK’s leading gin subscription box, Craft Gin Club, has benefited from this since its Dragon’s Den success in 2016, and continues to utilise Europa’s bonded infrastructure for forecasting supply and demand.

The Customs Warehouse Authorisation has been awarded to Europa following an extensive auditing programme with HMRC, who evaluated the infrastructure and security in place for each site. This was co-ordinated with operational teams across the Group, including facilities, project management and customs compliance teams.

Redpath continued: “Obtaining any accreditation is tough but those awarded by HMRC are especially rigorous, for obvious reasons. The HMRC officers completing the audits gave us positive feedback and, as a result, we’re really pleased to be able to extend our service offering beyond excise goods in this regard”.

Customs Warehouse Authorisation Across 3PL Sites

Europa’s portfolio of warehouses in Dartford, Birmingham and Corby, offer over one million sq. ft combined of dedicated warehouse and logistics space and are now fully authorised customs warehouses. The most recent investments within the warehouse division have been the construction of the £60m Corby warehouse, which is capable of storing up to 100,000 pallets and processes up to 50,000 units of goods per day through its £11m automation system.

Europa Warehouse is part of Europa Worldwide Group, an ambitious independent logistics operator with two other divisions, Europa Road and Europa Air & Sea. The company has been featured in The Sunday Times Top Track 250 for three years. Europa has invested £5 million in its innovative market-leading product, Europa Flow, providing a frictionless flow of goods between the EU and the UK post Brexit. The group employs over 1,400 people with 29 international sites in the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Europe, Hong Kong, China and the UAE. The global operator recently reported a record turnover of £302m for the last 12 months, as of August 2022, and remains on track with its ambitious investment programme.

Warehouse and Logistics Predictions

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Logistics predictions, by Phil Shepley, Vice President and Head of Commercial UK and Ireland at Iron Mountain.

The key challenges for the warehouse and logistics industry in 2024 fall into three categories – modernising operations, sustainability, and workforce disruptions.

Supply chain disruptions, from global events to geopolitical shifts and natural disasters to public health crises, can impact the flow of goods, leading to disruptions. The UK continues to have strong demand for high quality warehouse space. However, the resultant higher rents and longer leases are putting strain on balance sheets. Warehouse as a Service (WaaS) can support modernisation more flexibly.

We think 2024 will see heightened demand for WaaS, supporting end users to modernise their supply chain operations. Businesses will prioritise agile supply chains, leading to an increased adoption of WaaS to adapt to changing market conditions. WaaS offers a flexible and cost-efficient alternative to owning and managing warehouses.

Sustainability

The tightening energy performance standards on new and leased buildings will see occupiers modernising their estates, at the risk of being served huge fines. While retrofit activity will drive a significant number of efficiencies, the demand for new spaces built to modern standards will rise. The sustainable nature of the warehouse of the future will be another important consideration. Providers will need to support customers to achieve their net zero goals.

EPC changes will drive customers to demand higher standards from their suppliers to ensure requirements are met ahead of deadlines.

Workforce disruption

Automation and AI improve safety and increase efficiency in warehouse operations. It alleviates the workforce shortages the industry faces, however cost and flexibility are still a barrier for many companies. The warehouse and logistics sector will continue to face challenges around attracting and retaining talent in key roles. Combined with the continued impact of legislation and global events impacting labour availability, organisations may need to contend with shortages.

Opening of Warehouse in Bratislava

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Rohlig SUUS Logistics, a logistics operator in Central and Eastern Europe, has opened its first warehouse in the Slovak Republic. The facility, located in Bratislava, serves as a multi-purpose logistics centre, encompassing both a logistics warehouse and a handling terminal. This dual functionality enhances the efficient handling of goods and their distribution on the local market and in other countries in the CEE region.

The new warehouse has a surface area of 2,300 square meters and can accommodate up to 1,500 euro pallets in modern racking. The branch of the Polish logistics operator also offers a range of Value-Added Services (e.g. order picking or co-packing), and there are plans to develop customs services. The location of the warehouse is also crucial for the transport services provided by Rohlig SUUS Logistics. The facility is located close to the D1 highway which connects the Slovak Republic, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, and Austria. Beyond warehousing services, the company also places significant emphasis on the development of groupage road, air and sea freight in the region.

Artur Malarski, Board Member at Rohlig SUUS Logistics responsible for the development of CEE, says: “Why are we focusing on the development of our services in the Slovak Republic? Because many investors see the CEE region as one business unit. Accordingly, Rohlig SUUS Logistics is dynamically developing its services in this area – now in Slovakia, and we want to continue in our other branches as well. Building an extensive network of connections and warehouses is one of the elements that brings us closer to our strategic business goal – Rohlig SUUS Logistics as a key player in logistics services in the CEE region”.

Rohlig SUUS Logistics’ new investment marks another significant step in the company’s international expansion efforts. Last year, the Polish operator opened its first foreign warehouse in in the Czech Republic and another one later this year, helping to increase the company’s operational capacity. In June, Rohlig SUUS Logistics acquired Joppa Logistics, a Czech company specializing in warehousing services and groupage road transport. In addition to the Czech and Slovak Republic, Rohlig SUUS Logistics also has branches in Hungary, Romania, Slovenia and Kazakhstan.

Michal Sisolak, Branch Director at Rohlig SUUS Logistics Slovakia, explains, “Slovak economy is based on the export of goods from the automotive and electrical industries, among others, so companies need the support of comprehensive logistics services to grow. That’s why we have opened our warehouse to provide essential support to our customers in their business development efforts. ” He adds, “The combination of a logistics warehouse and a handling terminal significantly speeds up logistics processes, including the handling of sea, road or air shipments and their onward distribution in the Slovak Republic, or Central, Eastern and Southern European countries.”

Live Animal Transport: EU Tables Improved Conditions

Posted on by Keith McKinley

In an attempt to overhaul the current EU framework governing live animal transport, the European Commission unveiled today a proposal which partly considers the true chain of responsibility and care for animals during road transport.

Following a lengthy consultation process, the European Commission presented today a new legislative proposal to replace the current regulation overseeing the protection of animals during transport. This long-awaited revision aims to improve the welfare of animals from the first point of departure to their final destination, including to outside the EU. The proposal contains several provisions which could directly or indirectly impact the welfare of animals during transport.

These include restrictions on the length of the journey for slaughter animals, more space for animals in vehicles and other technical specifications such as temperature control, special provisions for journeys to third countries, clarifications on the role of various parties along the logistics chain, especially the role of the organisers of the ‘animal journey’, and digitalisation and enforcement.

IRU Director of EU Advocacy Raluca Marian said, “IRU welcomes the Commission’s much-needed efforts to fundamentally overhaul the rules governing animal welfare during transport. The Commission has addressed some concerns, but its approach is still lopsided towards the various parties which have to guarantee the welfare of the animals during their journey, especially on competence, knowledge and training. Unfortunately, this approach is not in sync with the actual reality of animal transport.”

Following an initial review of the proposal, IRU has identified two particular issues.

More clearly defined responsibilities

The liability across the logistics chain to decide whether an animal is fit for carriage is one of the key concerns which is inadequately addressed by the proposal. The proposal addresses this by introducing clear limits for the different stakeholders in the logistics process such as organisers, keepers and transport operators.

“We’re pleased to see that the Commission has understood that drivers and transport operators can only carry out a – highly challenging – visible check during the loading process. It is extremely hard for drivers to detect hidden conditions which can worsen during transport. Reflecting this in the delimitation of the responsibility of the various parties, including organisers and keepers should provide extra guarantees against unfit animals being presented and loaded for transport,” highlighted Marian.

Cumbersome training only for transporters

The issue of liability and knowledge is closely related to the training of professionals involved in the logistics process of live animal carriage. The proposal only foresees training and exams for road transport drivers and attendants.

Marian said, “This is still a very one-sided approach. The truck driver is only one link in the chain. In contrast, no obligation is foreseen for the journey organiser who actually has the overview of the complete journey of an animal, not just of one single transport leg. If animal welfare was taken seriously, all professionals involved in the process, including those who organise and plan journeys, keep, attend and carry live animals, and not only the drivers, would be properly trained and fully familiar with EU and national rules as well as with the animal species they are carrying. This way they can properly assume the responsibilities they have been given to guarantee the welfare of the animals throughout the logistics chain.”

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