Animal welfare groups have issued Irish Ferries with a formal legal notice demanding an immediate cessation or suspension of unweaned calf transport between Ireland and France. The action targets operations failing to meet European Union regulations on feeding requirements during transit.
Legal Ultimatum Issued Over Unweaned Calf Journeys
Animal welfare organizations have stepped up pressure on the livestock transport sector by serving Irish Ferries with a formal legal notice. Sent on behalf of Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) France, QUATRE PATTES (FOUR PAWS France), and WELFARM, the notice alleges that current shipping practices violate EU animal welfare legislation regarding feeding intervals for unweaned calves.
The legal warning, dispatched by the French legal firm de CAMBIAIRE & MEZIANI Associés, grants Irish Ferries a 15-day window to comply. The carrier must either cease transporting unweaned calves from Ireland to the port of Cherbourg or suspend operations until compliance with Regulation 1/2005—which mandates sufficient rest periods—is established. If the company fails to respond within the designated timeframe, the legal representatives have reserved the right to pursue all available legal remedies.
Activists emphasize that unweaned calves making the crossing from Ireland to France can endure journeys exceeding 24 hours without food. According to welfare groups, this delay contravenes European law and frequently leads to severe weakness, dehydration, hypoglycaemia, and mortality en route.
Industry Exodus Leaves Irish Ferries Alone on the Route
Irish Ferries currently stands as the only company facilitating live-animal transport between Ireland and France. This position is the result of a sustained campaign by animal welfare activists that has progressively dismantled the corridor.
Last year, Stena Line withdrew from facilitating such transports from Ireland to France. More recently, Brittany Ferries halted its live-animal transport operations between the two countries earlier this month. As competitors exit the trade under mounting public and regulatory scrutiny, Irish Ferries remains the only carrier maintaining the route.
Yvan Savy, Head of CIWF France, highlighted the scale of the trade. More than 160,000 unweaned calves arrive in France each year following grueling journeys that raise serious compliance questions. Once offloaded in France, these lorries transit onward to destinations such as Poland, the Netherlands, and Spain.
Pressure Mounts on European Regulators and Irish Authorities
Alongside the legal notice served to the ferry operator, the coalition of animal welfare groups has written directly to the European Commission. The letters urge Brussels to ensure strict enforcement of animal welfare legislation and to initiate infringement proceedings against Ireland for permitting the transit of unweaned calves to France.
Activists point out that European Commissioner for Animal Welfare Olivér Várhelyi previously stated that Irish authorities had been given more than enough time to resolve the issue of feeding calves during the journey, yet no meaningful action has materialized.
Caroline Rowley, Director of Ethical Farming Ireland, criticized the domestic oversight. Irish authorities continue to ignore legislation and allow hundreds of thousands of young and vulnerable animals to suffer appallingly during the journey from Ireland to France, she noted. Rowley added that as an authorized transporter, Irish Ferries carries both a regulatory responsibility to adhere to the rules and a moral obligation to protect animals from suffering on board.
Meanwhile, international regulatory pressure is also building elsewhere in Europe. Earlier this month, the Dutch Food and Safety Authority (NVWA) announced plans to impose fines on four Irish carriers transporting unweaned calves to the Netherlands. The Netherlands remains a key destination for Irish dairy calves sold into mainland Europe, where they are predominantly utilized for veal production after arriving via sea freight to France and completing the remainder of the journey by road.
