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Animal welfare initiatives

Renouvellement de la convention-cadre du Centre national de référence pour le bien-être animal (CNR BEA)

ByMarch 1st 2023March 15th, 2023No Comments

Document type Press release fromINRAE

Author : INRAE

Preview: On Wednesday, March 1, at the Salon International de l'Agriculture, Philippe Mauguin, President and CEO of INRAE, Gilles Salvat, Deputy Director General for Research and Reference, on behalf of Benoît Vallet, Director General of Anses, Martial Marguet, First Vice President of Acta (agricultural technical institutes) and President of Idele, and the French national veterinary schools represented by Mireille Bossy, Director General of VetAgro Sup and Laurence Deflesselle, Director General of Oniris, have renewed the remit of the French Reference Centre for animal welfare (FRCAW) by signing an amendment to the framework agreement of February 28, 2017. Recognized in 2021 by the Ministry of Agriculture as a "permanent public policy support mechanism", the FRCAW is committed to long-term actions to enable better consideration of animal welfare. It collects and disseminates scientific, technical and regulatory knowledge and innovations relating to animal welfare. Through its expertise and the dissemination of reliable and consolidated information, it offers a technical and scientific reference framework.
The signatories of the FRCAW agreement - INRAE, Anses, the four national veterinary schools (VetAgro Sup, EnvA, Oniris and ENVT) and the four agricultural technical institutes of the animal sectors (IDELE - for herbivores, IFIP for pigs, ITAVI for poultry rabbits and fish and IFCE for horses) under the aegis of Acta, have thus renewed their commitment, against the background of the ongoing revision of European legislation on animal welfare and increased societal expectations concerning animal welfare in France and in Europe.
Created in 2017, the FRCAW 's missions are the delivery of expert opinions and the production and dissemination of consolidated scientific, technical and regulatory resources relating to animal welfare. Supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, the FRCAW aims to assist political, economic and social actors in moving towards changes of practice that are more respectful of the welfare of the animals within its purview (farm animals, pets, captive wildlife) and to facilitate dialogue between stakeholders.
The FRCAW works to facilitate the ownership and use of scientific, technical and regulatory knowledge by stakeholders, including public authorities, in order to facilitate consideration of the feeling nature of animals and to improve their welfare.
The challenge for the coming years is to strengthen the supporting role of the FRCAW for public authorities, professionals and associations in France, while contributing to the support of French interests at European level.
In addition to the research, development and training bodies who are signatories to the framework agreement, more than fifty institutions and professional and associative organizations with an interest in animal welfare are associated with FRCAW as members of an advisory committee.
The FRCAW collaborates with the three European Union Reference Centres for Animal Welfare (pigs, poultry and small farm animals, ruminants and equines), created since 2018 as part of European regulations on official controls and monitoring.
Respect for animal welfare is a European objective that is clearly defined by the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (Article 13). France has developed its own national animal welfare strategy (2016-2020) under the aegis of the Ministry of Agriculture, with the aim of facilitating the implementation of regulations, sharing knowledge and good practices, promoting innovation, empowering actors at all levels, and continuing the transformation of animal welfare practices.
The production of scientific knowledge and its communication in the field, the improvement of dialogue between stakeholders, along with improved training for professionals and reliable and easily-accessible information for civil society, are all necessary to enable a real improvement in animal welfare.
Learn more about the governance of the FRCAW

 

From the INRAE website