The minister for agriculture in Germany has proposed new animal welfare rules for non-EU countries importing live animals.

Minister Cem Ozdemir has presented the European Commission with an outline of a new national regulatory proposal that would allow the export of live animals only if a third (non-EU) country gives a commitment to comply with certain animal welfare standards.

This would apply both for third countries that are the destination of the animals, and third countries the consignment is travelling through on the way to its destination.

The proposal would provide for the creation of a national regulation in Germany that makes the export of certain live animals to third countries dependent on a bilateral or multilateral agreement between Germany and third countries.

In that agreement, the respective third countries would undertake to comply with certain standards on animal welfare.

Under the proposals, these agreements would allow a delegation from Germany to carry out animal welfare audits within the third country.

The agreements would also set out "legal consequences" in the event of violations. This may include the pausing of exports until the identified welfare issues have been remedied.

The outline of the proposal is awaiting an assessment from the European Commission of its feasibility in terms of EU law and World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules.

Commenting on the proposal (in a statement translated from German), Minister Ozdemir said: "I want animal transport outside the EU that violates animal welfare to be a thing of the past.

"Transports to third countries should only take place if the protection of the animals is at least comparable within the EU. I suggest that Brussels tie the export of live animals from Germany to an agreement in which our trading partners commit to complying with clearly defined animal welfare standards," he added.

The minister said that, while a EU-wide regulation of this type would be the most ideal scenario, one is "still a long way off".

"This leaves us as member states with no other choice than to prepare everything necessary at a national level to stop animal suffering as quickly as possible," Minister Ozdemir added.