Animal welfare groups issued Irish Ferries a formal legal notice on 28 September 2026, alleging breaches of European Union legislation during the transport of unweaned calves from Ireland to France. The action comes as industry scrutiny intensifies following the recent withdrawal of competing ferry operators from the live-export trade.
Legal Notice Targets Irish Ferries Over Calf Transport
The formal legal notice was sent on behalf of three organizations: Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) France, QUATRE PATTES (FOUR PAWS France), and WELFARM. According to RTÉ News, the legal document alleges that current transport practices fail to meet EU regulations regarding feeding requirements for unweaned calves traveling across the sea.
Activists claim that young calves journeying from Ireland to France can go over 24 hours without food, which directly breaches EU law. This prolonged deprivation can cause animals to become weak, suffer from dehydration and hypoglycaemia, and even die en route.
The French legal firm de CAMBIAIRE & MEZIANI Associés, acting for the animal welfare groups, gave Irish Ferries a 15-day window to cease transporting unweaned calves to the port of Cherbourg. Alternatively, the company must suspend operations until compliance with Regulation 1/2005, which provides for sufficient rest periods, is established. If Irish Ferries fails to respond within 15 days, the firm stated that clients reserve the right to pursue all available legal remedies.
European Commission Urged to Launch Infringement Proceedings
Alongside the legal notice served to Irish Ferries, the activist coalitions have written directly to the European Commission. They are calling on the Commission to fully enforce animal welfare legislation and begin infringement proceedings against Ireland for allowing the transport of unweaned calves to France.
Campaigners pointed out that Olivér Várhelyi, the European Commissioner for Animal Welfare, previously stated that Irish authorities had been given ample time to fix calf-feeding issues during transit from Ireland to France, but no steps have been taken.
Ethical Farming Ireland Director Caroline Rowley remarked that Irish authorities keep disregarding rules and permitting severe, appalling suffering for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable young animals on the transit. She stated that Irish Ferries has a legal responsibility as an authorized transporter to ensure legislation is adhered to in full, alongside a moral obligation to prevent animal suffering on their boats.
Industry Shift Leaves Irish Ferries Alone in Live-Export Trade
Irish Ferries is currently the sole company facilitating live-animal transports between Ireland and France. Stena Line stopped facilitating such transports from Ireland to France last year following sustained campaigns by animal welfare groups, while Brittany Ferries halted its live-animal transport operations between the two countries earlier in September 2026.
Yvan Savy, Head of CIWF France, noted that more than 160,000 unweaned calves arrive in France each year after grueling journeys that raise serious concerns regarding compliance with EU animal welfare transport rules. After completing the sea crossing, the lorries pass through France toward destinations such as Poland, the Netherlands, and Spain. The Netherlands serves as a primary destination for Irish dairy calves sold to mainland Europe, where they are predominantly utilized for veal production via road journeys following the sea transit.
Adding to the regulatory pressure on carriers, the Dutch Food and Safety Authority (NVWA) announced earlier in September 2026 that it will impose fines on four Irish carriers transporting unweaned calves to the Netherlands.
Frequently Asked Questions on the Irish Ferries Legal Notice
Why did animal welfare groups issue a legal notice to Irish Ferries?
The groups allege that Irish Ferries is breaching EU animal welfare laws by transporting unweaned calves that go over 24 hours without food, leading to weakness, dehydration, and potential mortality.
What timeline has Irish Ferries been given to respond?
The French legal firm representing the welfare groups gave Irish Ferries 15 days from 28 September 2026 to cease unweaned calf transport to Cherbourg or suspend operations until regulatory compliance is proven.
Are other ferry companies still transporting live calves from Ireland?
No. Irish Ferries is currently the only company facilitating live-animal transports between Ireland and France, after Stena Line and Brittany Ferries ended the practice.
What happens to the calves after they arrive in France?
Lorries transport the calves via road to countries like the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain, where they are mostly used for veal production.
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