Document type: Answer to question no 7524, published in the Journal Officiel de la République Française
Authors: question: Lisa Belluco (Ecologist - NUPES - Vienna). Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty.
Question: Lisa Belluco draws the attention of the French Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty to the evaluation of the pilot to test the implementation of on-farm slaughtering solutions in France. Article 73 of the "EGALIM" law states that "on an experimental basis and for a period of four years from the publication of the decree provided for in the last paragraph of this article, mobile abattoir systems are being tested with the aim of identifying any problems in the application of European regulations. The pilot will be assessed, with regard in particular to its economic viability and impact on animal welfare, the results of which will be conveyed to Parliament no later than six months before the end of the session. This evaluation will draw up recommendations for changes in European Union law. In his reply to written question no. 39648, tabled during the 15th parliamentary session, the Minister of Agriculture and Food gave the following explanation on this subject: "This pilot will run for four years from the date of the decree implementing Article 73 on April 15, 2019. The assessment of this pilot study has been entrusted to an independent provider. It will form the basis of a government report to be submitted to Parliament no later than October 16, 2022." With a due date more than 14 months ago, the honorable member notes that this report has not yet been submitted to Parliament. She therefore asks when the report is due to be published.
Answer: The evaluation report on the mobile abattoir pilot was submitted to Parliament in early February 2024. At European level, discussions have begun on the regulatory changes required to enable mobile abattoirs to operate. These discussions, initiated during the French Presidency of the European Council led to the publication of a delegated regulation amending Regulation (EC) 853/53/2004, which lays down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin, to regulate the use of mobile slaughter units at the place of operations and of abattoirs that are wholly or partly mobile.
Link to the approved text: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FR/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L_202401141.
