Skip to main content
French Reference Centre for Animal Welfare logo

Bringing together experts in research, development and training
to support animal welfare

The French Reference Centre for Animal Welfare brings together experts in research, development and training in order to enhance and disseminate knowledge, innovations and know-how and to facilitate the integration of animal welfare in the design of sustainable farming systems (farm animals, pets, captive wildlife). Its establishment was one of the major actions in France's strategy for Animal Welfare (2016-2020).

Explore resources
from the FRCAW

News

Discover the scientific, technical and regulatory news on animal welfare selected by the FRCAW's experts.

RegulationTransport, Slaughter, Pick-upHeatwave watch: limitations on animal welfare transport
June 20, 2025

Vigilance canicule : limitations transport bien-être animal

Document type: article published by Les GDS de Poitou-Charentes Author: GDS Résumé: You will find below, the annual message of vigilance sent at the beginning of the hot weather...
French Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty logoRegulationTransport, Slaughter, Pick-upTransporting animals during heatwaves: regulations - Ministère de l'Agriculture et de la Souveraineté alimentaire
June 19, 2025

Transport d’animaux en période de canicule : la règlementation – Ministère de l’Agriculture et de la Souveraineté alimentaire

Document type: article published by MASA Author: Ministère de l'Agriculture et de la souveraineté alimentaire Extrait : By order of July 22, 2019, the Minister of Agriculture...
French Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty logoFarm management and human-animal relationsAnimal welfare initiativesHousing and EnrichmentHeat wave" plan: recommendations for livestock farmers - Ministère de l'Agriculture et de la Souveraineté alimentaire
June 19, 2025

Plan « vague de chaleur » : recommandations pour les éleveurs – Ministère de l’Agriculture et de la Souveraineté alimentaire

Document type: article published by MASA Author: Ministère de l'Agriculture et de la souveraineté alimentaire Extract: Meteorologists agree that heat waves will be...
See all news

FRCAW NEWSLETTER

Free monthly newsletter containing a selection of the latest news on animal welfare picked out by experts from the FRCAW

Sign up to receive the newsletterDownload the latest newsletter
Access previous newsletters

Scientific and technical expertise: formal reports, opinions etc.

The chief mission of the FRCAW is to provide scientific and technical expert advice to government, associated sectors, societies and any other actor involved in the keeping of animals, on matters concerning animal protection and the welfare of animals dependent on humans.

Poultry welfare during depopulation visits

Document type: Opinion

Requested by: FRCAW and EURCAW-Poultry-SFA

Animal categories: Poultry

Delivery date: 02/2025

Learn more

Cat housing surface area and welfare 

Document type: Opinion

Requested by: Animal Welfare Office/DGAL - French Ministry of Agriculture and Food

Animal categories: Cats

Delivery date: 09/2024

DOI: 10.17180/ghqy-aj09

Learn more

Document type: Opinion

Animal categories: Pigs

Learn more
View all

Knowledge Hub

Articles, opinions, books, summaries, good practice guides, regulations and certifications are among the hundreds of reference documents on animal welfare available on this platform.

The Industry Benchmark on Decapod Crustacean Welfare

Crustacean Compassion

Regulation/Certification

Published in 2024

Rencontre animal welfare au Salon International de l’Agriculture 2023 : Révision de la réglementation sur le bien-être animal : des initiatives françaises à porter à l’Europe – présentations des intervenants

FRCAW

Published in 2023

Renouvellement de la convention-cadre du Centre national de référence pour le bien-être animal

INRAE

Published in 2023

View all documents

Educational resources

Do you need resources to design animal welfare training courses?
Do you want to train yourself in animal welfare?

Améliorer le bien-être des animaux d’élevage est-il toujours bénéfique pour l’environnement ?

Animal Welfare Chair

Published in 2025

Impacts des différents types de sols sur le bien-être et le comportement des porcs

Animal Welfare Chair

Published in 2025

Accès des poulettes à la litière pour des bains de poussière

EURCAW-Poultry-SFA, Chaire bien-être animal

Published in 2025

View all documents

Animal welfare: what is it ?

An animal's well-being, its state of mind, its needs, expectations and emotions are the key elements of animal welfare that concern the FRCAW, based on the expert definition produced by the Anses in 2018.

Learn more

What we do

The FRCAW provides collective expertise, pulling together key scientific and technical evidence to support public authorities and economic and social actors in order to improve the account taken of the welfare of animals under human control (farm animals, pets, captive wildlife).

About usOur activities

The French Observatory for the Protection of Domestic Carnivores (OCAD)

FRCAW is OCAD's expert advisory body. It responds to queries from the OCAD Steering Committee, using all information available via open access or supplied by OCAD members, and referring in particular to the I-CAD database.

Learn moreOCAD's work