[Animal protection during transport in Hungary]

To assess animal welfare during transport in Hungary, a questionnaire study was carried out in 1998. The questionnaire consisted of 39 questions addressing some general characteristics as well as specific ones regarding means of transport, fulfillment of the animals' needs on board and others. Three-hundred and ninety-one questionnaires were analysed representing about 0.1% of all yearly transports in Hungary. The most significant problems encountered were with conditions of transport that are more relevant for longer transports, especially those exceeding eight hours. Such are, inter alia, weather protection, ventilation, means to tie or separate animals and the provision of food and water. Even though there are several different types of vehicle available for transporting animals in Hungary, vehicles that are not appropriate for the species, distance or other conditions of the transport are sometimes used. Our results apply to the preparatory phase before the introduction of new, EU conform legislation on the protection of animals during transport. They enable more specific investigations or corrective measures to be undertaken by the competent authority responsible for the enforcement of such regulations in Hungary.