Animal category: Pigs

Review: Livestock transport of animals in a consumer society geared towards efficiency: efficiency, animal welfare or both?

Barbara Felde

Published in 2024

Article on the legal provisions set out in Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) justifying certain trade restrictions on the grounds of respect for animal welfare. The authors point out that the procedures for transporting animals in large numbers do not comply with European legislation. As part of the current review of Regulation (EC) No. 1/2005 governing the transport of animals within and outside the EU, amendments should be considered to achieve effective animal welfare regulations.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Cattle, Pigs, Poultry

Keywords:Animal trade, Societal issues, Transportation

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European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-003324/2023: Animal welfare legislation derailment and conclusions from a recent journalistic investigation

Question: Francisco Guerreiro (Greens/EFA). Answer: Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2024

An MEP has questioned the European Commission on the abandonment of its plans to revise animal welfare legislation to include a ban on cage farming. According to a survey, MEPs are being encouraged to resist pressure from NGOs. The MEP questions the European Commission on this subject.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories:Cattle, Pigs, Poultry

Keywords:Livestock buildings, Housing, Restraint equipment

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Animal health and welfare: cornerstones of sustainable animal farming

WOAH

Published in 2024

Article describing the environmental challenges of livestock farming, along with its impact on animal welfare and global health. The article underlines the need for farming practices to evolve, with animal health and welfare as key contributors to the sustainability of livestock farming.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories:Cattle, Goats, Equines, Sheep, Fish, Pigs, Ruminants, Poultry

Keywords:Biodiversity, Societal issues, Environment, Population management, One Welfare, Pollution, livestock farming system

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Review: "Animal welfare" - A European concept

José Martinez, Cara von Nolting

Published in 2024

Article exploring the origins of the concept of animal welfare in European law, starting with the Maastricht Treaty (1992). The scope of the cross-cutting clause in art. 13 of the TFEU (Lisbon Treaty, 2007) codifying respect for animal welfare in Europe may vary from one member state to another.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories:Cattle, Goats, Equines, Sheep, Fish, Pigs, Ruminants, Poultry

Keywords: Societal issues

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Review: Animal husbandry and sustainable agriculture: is animal welfare (only) an issue of sustainability of agricultural production or a separate issue on its own?

Daniel Wawrzyniak

Published in 2024

Scientific article explaining the risks of conflating the concept of animal welfare with that of sustainable farming.Linking them can blur their differences and may result in misguided agricultural political decision-making.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Cattle, Goats, Equines, Sheep, Fish, Pigs, Ruminants, Poultry

Keywords: Environment, One Welfare, Pollution,Societal issues, livestock farming system

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Unlocking Sows' Welfare: The Farm-Level Economic Impact of Phasing out Farrowing Crates for Sows in the European Union's Pig Breeding Industry

Agata Malak-Rawlikowska, Edward Majewski, Norbert Potori, Mariusz Hamulczuk, Viktor Szili, Edit Egr

Published in 2024

Scientific impact study on the economic consequences of banning farrowing crates on EU pig farms. Despite improvements in sow welfare, the study shows increases in production costs, piglet mortality rates and risks to employees. Financial assistance and a transition period should be considered to help farms switch to the new systems.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Livestock buildings, Housing, Restraint equipment, Livestock farming system

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Final report of an audit of Greece carried out from 20 to 24 February 2023 in order to evaluate measures taken to ensure the respect of requirements in relation to animal welfare rules on animal transport and slaughter

DG SANTE, European Commission

Published in 2024

Audit report on the system implemented by the Greek goverment to ensure compliance with regulations protecting animals being transported to the abattoir. While it recognizes improvements, it concludes that the measures implemented by the competent authorities are not yet fully compliant with the five points of the 2009 ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union. It contains eight recommendations to the competent authorities to remedy the shortcomings identified.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories:Cattle, Goats, Equines, Sheep, Pigs

Keywords: Transport

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Guidance: Livestock at farm shows and markets: welfare regulations

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (UK)

Published in 2023

Update of a guide originally published in 2012 by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on the laws and regulations protecting farm animals at shows and markets, with particular reference to compliance rules for pens, cages and hutches.

Document Types: Good practice guide

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

Keywords:Animal trade, Housing, Living environment, Human-animal relationships, Societal issues

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Annual report of the EFSA Networks on Animal Welfare 2023

EFSA

Published in 2023

Technical report summarizing the activities of EFSA's network subgroups on animal welfare as presented at their 2023 annual meeting, including the progress of EFSA's ongoing welfare mandates along with two new mandates, on dog and cat welfare, and on use of diathermic syncope for cattle stunning. Discussions took place on various subjects, including hypertypes and genetic diseases in dogs, the need for stunning before the killing of decapods, the assessment of welfare at pasture, and population reduction methods in the event of an avian flu crisis.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Cattle, Dogs, Goats, Equines, Felines, Molluscs, Sheep, Pigs, Poultry

Keywords:All subjects

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What does the EU's new transport proposal mean for fish?

Eurogroup for Animals

Published in 2023

News article setting out the particular welfare needs of fish during transport, and analyzing the parts of the proposed revisions to the European regulations on animal welfare during transport that specifically address fish welfare. 

Document Types: Technical review

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Equines, Ovines, Fish, Porcines, Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Transportation

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