Discipline: Veterinary

Assemblée nationale : réponse à la question n°4154 : Contrôle des conditions d’abattage des animaux dans les abattoirs

Question: Mr Karim Benbrahim (Loire-Atlantique (1st district) - Socialistes et apparentés). Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty

Published in 2025

Answer from the French Government to a question from a member of the National Assembly on abattoir monitoring and controls. The Ministry states that the work to control slaughtering conditions by government-appointed agents amounts to the equivalent of more than 1,200 full-time posts. Additionally, a national inspection force is brought in for complex cases, which can impose sanctions up to and including closure  in the event of serious failings.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

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

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Characterisation of facial expressions and behaviours of horses in response to positive and negative emotional anticipation using network analysis

Romane Phelipon, Léa Bertrand, Plotine Jardat, Fabrice Reigner, Kate Lewis, Jérôme Micheletta, Léa Lansade

Published in 2025

Study using network analysis to identify specific behaviors and facial expressions in horses based on their anticipation of a positive or negative experience. These indicators can be used to better assess the emotional state and welfare of equines.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

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Measuring minds: Understanding the mental states of dairy cattle in different management conditions

Heather W. Neave

Published in 2025

Review of a symposium on the  assessment of how the mental states of dairy cattle (positive emotions and cognitive functions in particular) are affected by management practices. It highlights the behavioral, physiological and cognitive indicators available and the potential of emerging automated on-farm monitoring technologies.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

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Healthy cows, happy farmers? Exploring the dynamics of mastitis and farmer well-being

Lind Nina, Hansson Helena, Emanuelson Ulf, Lagerkvist Carl-Johan

Published in 2025

Study showing that cow health influences the psychological welfare of dairy farmers. This connection is reinforced by the farmers' perceptions of the disease (in this case mastitis) and their sense of control over it.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

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Animal welfare definitions, frameworks, and assessment tools: Advancing the measurement and laying the foundation for improved animal welfare through a three-step approach

van der Staay FJ, Goerlich VC, Meijboom FL, Arndt SS.

Published in 2025

This overview summarizes the three steps involved in developing animal welfare assessment tools: arriving at a shared definition of welfare, establishing theoretical and ethical frameworks, and  designing validated tools.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: All animals

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Assemblée nationale : Réponse à la question n°126 : Budget alloué aux associations pour la stérilisation des chats errants

Question: Mr Karl Olive (Yvelines (12th constituency) - Ensemble pour la République). Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty

Published in 2025

Question from a French Deputy to the government on how the law on stray cats should be implemented and what local councillors need to do to gain access to the funding earmarked to deal with the problem of stray cats, in particular through sterilization.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Felines

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Using deep learning models to decode emotional states in horses

Phelipon, R., Lansade, L. & Razzaq, M.

Published in 2025

Study using machine learning models to predict the emotions of ridden horses on the basis of image analysis, comparing different cropping and training methods for convolutional neural network models. The results showed that cropped images of heads were sufficient to provide very good prediction levels (87% accuracy), and that the features used by the model for interpretation were similar to those used by experts.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

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Final report - EFTA Surveillance Authority's follow-up audit to Norway from 20 to 24 January 2025 on protection of laying hens and chickens kept for meat production

ESA (EFTA Surveillance Authority)

Published in 2025

Audit report carried out by the AES in January 2025 in Norway, revealing some progress for the welfare of laying hens, but a continued lack of official controls for broilers. The AES points out that, despite some remedial actions, Norway has yet to fully integrate these measures into its on-site compliance inspections.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Poultry

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L’enrichissement du milieu de vie

Céline Tallet and Violaine Colson

Published in 2025

Article on environmental enrichment in captive animals. Conditions in captivity restrict the satisfaction of animals' physiological and ethological needs. Lack of stimulation and stressful practices can be detrimental to their welfare and affect the quality of scientific research carried out on these animals.

Document Types: Scientific review

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

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Final Report of an Audit of France carried out from 13 to 24 November 2023 in order to Evaluate the Protection of Unweaned Calves during Long Journeys

DG Health - European Commission

Published in 2025

Audit report on French controls on long journeys by unweaned calves, which concludes that the system is generally well set up, but is limited by certain deficiencies (gaps in procedures, control prioritization not always based on risks, lack of systematic follow-up). It recommends improvements to ensure greater compliance with animal welfare requirements.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Bovines

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