Animal category: Pigs

Behaviour of cull sows during transport to slaughter - effects of journey duration, a stationary period and temperature

Cecilie Kobek-Kjeldager, Line D. Jensen, Leslie Foldager, Louisa M. Gould, Karen Thodberg, Dorte Lene Schrøder-Petersen, Mette S. Herskin

Published in 2024

Scientific article describing the behavior of cull sows during transport. The results show that sows generally stand during transport, and aggression was observed throughout the journey. A higher proportion of sows who lie down during a prolonged stop after a long journey suggests fatigue.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Aggression, Aggressivity, Welfare indicators, Transport

Go to document

National Assembly: written answer to question n°12527: Welfare and protection of farm animals

Question: Béatrice Roullaud (Rassemblement National - Seine-et-Marne). Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty.

Published in 2024

Answer from MASA to a parliamentary question from a French Member of Parliament on the revision of European legislation on the welfare and protection of farm animals, which has not as yet delivered all of the expected package, in particular the ban on cages due to be in place by 2027.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories:Cattle, Pigs, Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Livestock buildings, Housing, Restraint equipment, Livestock farming system

Go to document

European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-003407/23: Time spent on the revision of EU animal welfare legislation

Question: Nikolaj Villumsen (The Left). Answer: Mrs Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2024

Answer to a question on how long it has taken the Commission and EFSA to prepare the revision of European legislation concerning the "End the Cage Age", a revision which was not fully completed in the end.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

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

Keywords:Livestock buildings, Housing, Societal issues, Restraint equipment, livestock farming system

Go to document

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, Transport

Go to document

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

Go to document

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

Go to document

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

Go to document

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

Go to document

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

Go to document

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

Go to document