Document type Written answer to question no. 12158 published in the Journal officiel de la République française
Authors: question: Karine Lebon (Gauche démocrate et républicaine - NUPES - Réunion). Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty
Question: Mme Karine Lebon draws the attention of the Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty to the conditions under which animals are reared and slaughtered, particularly in light of the latest images from the L214 association exposing the Bazas slaughterhouse in the Gironde, revealing serious shortcomings in terms of the slaughter of animals and modifications to equipment. These breaches of the regulations, which have been known to the veterinary services of the Direction Départementale de la Protection des Populations (DDPP) since at least 2016, have still not been rectified, causing acute and avoidable suffering to the animals. Unfortunately, this situation is not unique, and indignation is mounting with each successive revelation. There is an urgent need for a concrete political response to this issue. A number of administrative courts have recently recognized the "failure of omission" by the French government in its lack of action resulting from the poor operation of its veterinary services in controlling and monitoring abattoirs. In 2023 alone, the French government has already been found liable 3 times in actions brought by L214, in May for the Rodez slaughterhouse (Aveyron), and in July for the Briec slaughterhouse (Finistère) and the Faouët slaughterhouse (Morbihan). These three rulings concluded that the inadequacy of the measures taken by government departments, despite failings observed over several years, was such as to render them liable. It is therefore more necessary than ever to take action to guarantee greater transparency and more effective control of places where animals are kept. Accordingly, the MP is seeking the Minister's support for the introduction of a parliamentary right to visit abattoirs, livestock farms and any facility where livestock are kept, in the spirit of Proposal 60 of the report by the commission of inquiry into abattoirs chaired by Mr. Falorni in 2016. Such a measure, which would enable regular independent supervision by parliamentarians, accompanied by journalists and veterinarians, would aim to identify and eradicate unacceptable practices and prevent animal abuse, while ensuring compliance with current regulations. She would like to know his position on this subject.
Answer: The conditions under which animals are killed in abattoirs are now subject to numerous controls, whether these are provided for by the regulations or are implemented voluntarily by abattoir operators. For example, European Regulation 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of slaughter requires the presence of an animal protection officer, who must be able to require abattoir staff to take the necessary corrective measures to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. In addition, state officers (veterinarians and official auxiliaries) regularly audit animal slaughter conditions, report any cases of non-compliance and take appropriate administrative and legal measures. Third-party audits are also carried out on animal protection issues by abattoir customers as part of commercial contractual requirements. In addition, over the past few years, the industry has set up a system of voluntary animal protection audits in abattoirs, with an assessment grid drawn up in collaboration with animal protection associations. Last, some associations, such as OABA (l'œuvre d'assistance aux bêtes d'abattoirs), have their own auditors who are invited by abattoirs to run diagnostic assessments of slaughter conditions. It should be remembered that abattoir professionals have the primary responsibility for respecting animal welfare, to which are added the mandatory duties of veterinary inspectors with regard to abattoir inspections. Each animal must be inspected before slaughter. However, the conditions under which animals are handled, from unloading to slaughter, are not subject to constant oversight by government departments. Compliance with animal protection requirements is checked at least twice a year by the inspection services based at slaughtering plants, in the form of comprehensive audits. The implementation of internal monitoring by the operator is also verified. Last, physical checks are regularly carried out at slaughtering stations. Over the past two years, additional measures have been introduced by the government to increase checks on compliance with animal protection standards in abattoirs, and to implement appropriate administrative or punitive follow-up measures, targeting establishments whose slaughtering procedures require improvement. Last, in July 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture initiated an "abattoir plan" to ensure strict compliance with regulatory requirements, including those relating to animal welfare during slaughter, which includes support for the work required to improve practices [115 million euros (€M) provided to support 181 abattoirs], strengthening of local abattoir networks, strengthening of controls via a rapid intervention task force, and wider monitoring throughout France, accompanied by the implementation of appropriate further action in conjunction with prefectures. In July 2023, the French Ministry of Agriculture launched an initiative to preserve the appropriate network of abattoirs in each region, so that the long-term viability of the livestock industry can be ensured. The 2024 Finance Act makes provision for the government to underwrite €50 million of outstanding loans, to provide support for abattoirs that are of strategic interest to a sector and/or area of production.
