European Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 prohibits EU member states from transporting unhealthy, injured, excessively young and heavily pregnant animals, including across national borders. However, too often non-transportable cattle from the Netherlands still end up in Belgian slaughterhouses via the so-called 'Belgium route'.
It is a persistent problem that often goes unpunished, according to research by Annick Hus (Knack) and Hester den Boer (De Groene Amsterdammer).
