The Agriculture Committee at the European Parliament celebrated a debate in which a majority of MEPs agreed on the need to introduce other measures, such as support for local slaughterhouses and meat processing plants besides cutting transport time to eight hours to animals. The main objective is to reach the maximum welfare of animals in transport, according to MEPs.

MEPs agreed in a debated celebrated at the Agriculture Committee in the European Parliament that the welfare of animals in transport must be improved. They agreed on improving animal welfare standards, but capping the duration of transport without considering transport conditions is "a blunt instrument" as it was underlined by Richard Ashworth MEP. He also assured that if conditions are bad, even a one-hour journey can be problematic. In November 2011, the European Commission published a report which highlighted that although protection during transport improved more needs to be done.

In addition, Alyn Smith MEP, insisted that the EU need to support local slaughterhouses, so animals do not have to travel long distances, install better ventilation systems in lorries, and look at state aid and hygiene drills, which favour bigger factories. Other MEPs also voiced her concerns about animals being transported for slaughter to other Member States just to get the country of origin label.

On the other hand, many MEPs agreed that transport conditions, including transit times, must remain species-specific - differing rules are needed for cattle and sheep, poultry and pigs but some argued that current rules nonetheless need to be updated. On equine transport, Julie Girling MEP, insisted that endless studies show that distances and times should be made special for horses.