Guidelines on economic activities

Transporting animals in connection with economic activities means that you are compensated for your work, or that the transport directly or indirectly is intended to result in financial gain. It is always your own responsibility to judge whether or not your transports take place in connection with economic activities. For instance, you need to think about when amateur or hobby activities become more professional.

What counts as transport in connection with economic activities can vary from one EU Member State to another. If you intend to transport animals abroad, you need to find out the guidelines that apply in those countries. Below you find the Swedish guidelines for what counts as transport in connection with economic activities.

Examples of transports within economic activities:

• Transports that the transporter demands payment for
• Transports of livestock as a part of the business solution, for instance of sows within a sow pool. (Livestock here means animals used for the production of for example foodstuffs, wool, fur, skin, or other products of animal origin.)
• Transporting animals to slaughter. (Transports of only a few hobby farm animals occasionally are not included.)
• Transports in professional horseracing
• Transports in professional equestrian sports
• Transporting animals for public display, like circuses or zoos. (Transports of only a few animals occasionally in a conservation program are not included.)
• Transports related to professional breeding activities. (Transports of only a few animals occasionally in a conservation program are not included.)
• Transports carried out by animal traders or pet shops
• Transports of laboratory animals

Examples of transports that do not take place within economic activities

• Transports carried out by, or on behalf of, a hobby rider or driver
• Transports related to amateur horseracing, class B trainers
• Transports to or from a leasee
• Transports related to amateur shows, like medieval games
• Transports related to training and, in most cases, riding-schools
• Transports of riding-school horses to or from competitions