Document type: news item from RMT Alimentation Locale
Author: RMT Alimentation Locale
Preview: The Regulations Working Group of the Local Food Mixed Technological Network (RMT) has been working to adapt the regulations to smaller businesses operating in short and local supply chains. This work is now bearing fruit, and we are pleased to be able to share this second article on animal welfare during slaughter with our readers. The protection of animals, particularly during the killing process, is a key concern for European legislators. Regulation 1099/2009 lays down strict conditions for protecting animals at the time of slaughter. However, recital 47 of the regulation takes the position of small slaughterhouses into account: "Small slaughterhouses predominantly involved in the direct sale of food to the final consumer do not require a complex system of management to implement the general principles of this Regulation. The requirement to have an animal welfare officer in place would therefore be disproportionate to the objectives pursued in those cases and this Regulation should provide for a derogation from that requirement for such slaughterhouses". The French parliament, in Article 70 of the Egalim law, showed less concern for small businesses, seeking to oblige ALL abattoirs, even those handling under 150,000 birds, to apply all the administrative requirements linked to animal welfare. Ultimately, the flexibility provided by the European regulation made it possible to agree and authorise a form of implementation that would respect the particular characteristics of small abattoirs and would also respect animal protection objectives.
Tabulated summary of the requirements for RPA (Responsable de la Protection Animale) and OPA (Opérateur de la Protection Animale) training courses.
It should be noted that while RPA (animal welfare officer) training is not mandatory in approved and non-approved abattoirs (EANAs) dealing with low volumes (only the appointment of an RPA is mandatory), there is a performance requirement that enables inspectors to require RPA training if serious animal protection violations are observed during the inspection. Work is also underway to provide animal protection training courses (including for RPAs) tailored to low-volume facilities, taking into account their individual procedures and operations. A technical instruction from the Ministry of Agriculture's Direction Générale de l'Alimentation (DGAL) is due to be published in 2024.
