Document type: Report from the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) [ESA monitors compliance with European Economic Area rules in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, allowing them to participate in the European market].
Author: ESA
Preview: This report describes the outcome of an audit carried out by the EFTA Surveillance Authority (ESA) in Norway from 31 October to 9 November 2022.
The objective of the audit was to assess the effectiveness of official controls to ensure the welfare of laying hens and chickens kept for production of meat (broilers).
The audit team found that relevant EEA legislation has in general been correctly transposed and implemented. Relevant national law goes beyond EEArequirements in certain regards, including a complete ban of beak trimming and more generous stocking densities for birds. However, the lack of an adequate system for official controls of animal welfare on poultry farms results in certain animal welfare non-compliances (particularly as regards laying hen holdings) going undetected.
ESA performed audits in Norway in 2009 and 2012 covering the welfare of laying hens. Recommendations issued during these audits are still not satisfactorilyaddressed. Lack of commitment of all levels of the competent authority (CA)toaddress the recommendations from 2009 and 2012 mission reports has resulted in a situation where official controls to ensure compliance with the provisions of the EEA legislation relevant for laying hens had not been adequately performed in the majority of cases and the register of laying hens still does not contain all necessary information required by EEA legislation, including indication of a distinguishingnumber indicating the farming method and lack of any, or accurate, information on the maximum capacity of the establishment.
Insufficienttraining and guidance have been provided to official veterinarians (OVs)on how to adequately perform official controls on laying hen holdings in thetwo decades since EEA legislation on protection of laying hens was implemented in Norway. This has resulted in official control methods which do not reliably detectnon-compliances. Risk assessment of animal welfare on poultry holdings based on such official controls (in particular regarding laying hen holdings) has failed to identify all potential welfare risks, leading to the CA's misinformed decision that noanimal welfare checks need to be performed on laying hen holdings from 2019 onwards.
The lack of an adequate system of official controls of animal welfare on laying hen farms has resulted in an ongoing prolongedperiod during which a vast number of laying hens are being kept in conditions inferior to the minimal requirements of theEEA legislation.
Norway has in its legislation stricter stocking density requirements for broilers compared to the EEA requirements.These requirements are generally effectively enforced and satisfactory corrective actions were taken by CAs to address related shortcomings reported by their staff from slaughterhouses. However, OVs do notmeasure the usable area in order to be able to evaluate the stocking density of animals on a holding, notwithstanding that this is required by the CA's guidancedocument. Rather, OVs rely on the information provided by the industry which is not necessarily correct.
The strict implementation of biosecurity measures on poultry holdings noted by theaudit team increasesthe likelihood that contagious poultry diseases will be kept out of susceptible domestic poultry populations as far as possible.
