Document type : Notice

Looking back, looking forward: changes in the scope of the subject 'animal welfare' within the World Organisation for Animal Health

L. J. Keeling

Published in 2025

Article looking at how WHOA's approach to animal welfare has changed, grouping the changes into three areas: acceptance of animal welfare as a topic in its own right, linked to but distinct from animal health; the broadening of its scope to cover all categories of domestic and wild animals; and the increased contextualization of animal welfare to reflect the specific attitudes and needs of different regions of the globe.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords: Societal issues

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EFSA Opinion - Welfare of horses during killing for purposes other than slaughter

EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare

Published in 2025

New EFSA Opinion on the welfare of horses during killing for purposes other than human consumption, whether indivudally or on a large scale. The Opinion details three phases: pre-stunning, stunning and bleeding. It identifies potential hazards and describes stunning and killing methods (captive bolt, firearm, lethal injection). Potential risks, preventive measures and animal welfare measurement criteria are described, along with practices deemed unacceptable on welfare.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Animal-based measurement, Anxiety, Consciousness, Pain, Brain integration, Fear, Stress

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EFSA Opinion - Welfare of horses at slaughter

EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare

Published in 2025

New EFSA opinion on the welfare of horses at slaughter for human consumption. The opinion details three phases: pre-stunning, stunning and bleeding. It identifies potential hazards and describes stunning and killing methods (captive bolt, firearm, lethal injection), and proposes measures to assess animal welfare consequences. Practices deemed unacceptable on welfare grounds are also listed.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Animal-based measurement, Anxiety, Consciousness, Pain, Brain integration, Fear, Stress

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The use of high expansion foam for stunning and killing pigs and poultry

EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW)

Published in 2024

EFSA opinion assessing the suitability of high expansion foam in container as a new stunning and killing method for poultry and pigs. It concludes that, for laying hens and broilers and for pigs weighing between 15 and 41 kg, this is an effective and animal-friendly alternative method, subject to compliance with the specified technical conditions and procedures, and to staff training.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Porcines, Poultry

Key words:Consciousness, Pain, Euthanasia, Welfare indicators, Stress

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Images et représentations de l’agriculture dans la société française aujourd’hui

Julia Gassie, Florent Bidaud, Nathalie Kakpo, Jérôme Lerbourg

Published in 2024

Study presenting the four main representations of agriculture and farming in French society today: traditional family farming, large-scale industrial farming, farmers under pressure to expand, and small farmers who just get by. 

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords:Societal issues, Pollution, Human-animal relationship, Farming system

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Animal Rights and Legal Personhood

Ethan Prall

Published in 2024

Synthesis of different views on the moral status of animals, their "fundamental rights" and the relationship between fundamental rights and legal personhood.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: All animals

Keywords: Societal issues

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Animal Welfare Committee: opinion on alternatives to culling newly hatched chicks in the egg and poultry industry

Animal Welfare Committtee (UK)

Published in 2023

Report on technologies with the potential to help end the culling of newly hatched male chicks. It identifies the possible risks to welfare posed by their use, and puts forward alternative  ideas and views on the matter.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Poultry

Key words:Consciousness, Pain, Euthanasia, Welfare indicators, Societal issues, Stress

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Executive Summary of the Impact Assessment Report Accompanying the document Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of animals during transport and related operations, amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1255/97 and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005

DG SANTE, European Commission

Published in 2023

Impact assessment setting out the animal welfare implications of the legislative proposal on the transport of live animals. The impacts addressed are economic, social and environmental.

Document Types: Opinions

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

Key words: One Welfare, Human-animal relationship, Transport,Societal issues

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Perspectives d’avenir des relations élevage et société

CGAAER

Published in 2023

CGAAER report on the conditions required to reconcile the positions of the French public and livestock farming. The CGAAER considers that the controversy surrounding livestock farming can only be resolved after a discussion between all stakeholders to develop shared objectives for future livestock farming. This will call for a multidisciplinary scientific committee to clarify the terms of the debate, and a dialogue between the different sectors to develop common messages.

Document Types: Opinions

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

Keywords:Societal issues, One Welfare, Human-animal relationships, Farming systems

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Update to the 2014 FAWC Opinion on the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing

Animal Welfare Committee

Published in 2023

Expert opinion providing recommendations for improvements to   the welfare of farmed fish at the time of slaughter. It highlights the fish sentience, recommends effective stunning methods, and proposes rules to reduce stress and suffering before slaughter. It recommends a legal requirement for inspection , the use of video surveillance on slaughter sites, tighter controls and sanctions, and better management of voluntary code standards.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Fish

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Stress

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