Subject: Regulations

Executive Summmary of the Fitness Check - EU Animal Welfare Legislation

EU Commission

Published in 2022

This summary of the quality assessment highlights the positive role that European regulations have played in advancing animal welfare, particularly for species covered by specific directives. But problems persist, differences in implementation are noted between member countries, and enforcement is insufficient. The review concludes that the current rules do not sufficiently take into account society's growing expectations, ethical concerns, scientific and technological developments and future sustainability challenges.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

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

Keywords:All subjects

Preslaughter handling and slaughter of meat animals - Chapter 4 : Horses

B. Driessen, D. Marlin, J. Buyse

Published in 2022

This book chapter addresses the welfare during transport of horses being taken to slaughter. It covers the suitability of animals for transport, handling prior to transport, loading, transport itself, unloading, stabling, stunning and slaughter.

Document Types: Technical work

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Carcass quality, Stress, Transport

Go to document

Manger l’animal ou la gestion du tragique : une brève histoire du lien homme-animal

Païdeia Consulting Group

Published in 2022

This article reviews the history of the gradual distancing of humans from farmed animals, culminating in the questioning of a meat-based human diet.  It proposes ways to reconcile a respect for farmed animals with their slaughter for consumption.

Document Types: Scientific review

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

Keywords: Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Livestock farming system

Go to document

Final report of an audit of Germany carried out from 21 September to 1 October 2021 in order to evaluate the protection of the welfare of laying hens at all stages of production

DG SANTE

Published in 2022

Report from DG SANTE concluding that animal welfare regulations for laying hens in Germany are stricter than those in the EU, and that the effectiveness of official controls is strong. It records the German system's strengths and proposes opportunities for improvement.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords: Societal issues, Risk management

Go to document

European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-002238/22: Ban on the sale of cats and dogs to countries which allow their slaughter and consumption

Anna Bonfrisco (ID). Reply: Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2022

Answer to a question on whether it is within the Commission's remit to impose a ban on the sale of animals such as cats and dogs to countries that allow their slaughter and consumption.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories:Canine

Keywords: Societal issues, Human-animal relationships

Go to document

Décret n° 2022-1179 du 24 août 2022 relatif à la formation des gestionnaires de fourrière relative en matière de bien-être des chiens et des chats

Elisabeth Borne, Marc Fesneau

Published in 2022

Decree no. 2022-1179 of August 24, 2022, Journal officiel de la République française

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Canines, Felines

Keywords:Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Stress

Go to document

European Parliament: Written answer to Question E-002518/22: Action must be taken when equine traffickers break EU animal welfare rules

Aurélia Beigneux (ID), Catherine Griset (ID), Virginie Joron (ID), Annika Bruna (ID)

Published in 2022

Answer to a question on the European Commission's measures to prevent the trafficking of recreational horses, leading to their slaughter and fraudulent entry into the food chain.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Societal issues, Stress

Go to document

European Parliament: Written answer to question E-002611/22: Banning the transport of live animals during heatwaves 

Aurélia Beigneux (ID). Reply: Mrs Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2022

Answer to a question on the European Commission's position on the banning of the transport of live animals when the temperature exceeds 30°C, and on how it intends to strengthen the regulations to better control such transport of live animals.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

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

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

Go to document

European Parliament: Written answer to question E-002365/2022: Inclusion of detailed rules on fish transport in the upcoming review of Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005

Rosa D'Amato (Greens/EFA), Francisco Guerreiro (Greens/EFA), Saskia Bricmont (Greens/EFA), Sylwia Spurek (Greens/EFA), Ska Keller (Greens/EFA), Piernicola Pedicini (Greens/EFA) Sarah Wiener (Greens/EFA), Tilly Metz (Greens/EFA), Marie Toussaint (Greens/EFA), David Cormand (Greens/EFA), Eleonora Evi (Greens/EFA), Ignazio Corrao (Greens/EFA) Caroline Roose (Greens/EFA), Manuela Ripa (Greens/EFA), Malte Gallée (Greens/EFA), Ville Niinistö (Greens/EFA), Grace O'Sullivan (Greens/EFA) Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield (Greens/EFA), Michèle Rivasi (Greens/EFA), Martin Häusling (Greens/EFA), Bronis Ropė (Greens/EFA), Damien Carême (Greens/EFA), Anja Hazekamp (The Left) Answer given by Mrs Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2022

Response to a question on the Commission's plans to ensure that the new animal transport provisions (under the Farm to Fork strategy) incorporate the latest scientific data on the transport of live fish.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Fish

Keywords: Transport

Go to document

Welfare of pigs on farm

EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW): Søren Saxmose Nielsen, Julio Alvarez, Dominique Joseph Bicout, Paolo Calistri, Elisabetta Canali, Julian Ashley Drewe, Bruno Garin-Bastuji, Jose Luis Gonzales Rojas, Christian Gortázar Schmidt, Mette Herskin, Virginie Michel, Miguel Ángel Miranda Chueca, Barbara Padalino, Paolo Pasquali, Helen Clare Roberts, Hans Spoolder, Karl Stahl, Antonio Velarde, Arvo Viltrop, Christoph Winckler

Published in 2022

EFSA scientific opinion on the welfare of all categories of pigs found in the main European farming systems. It identifies the most important welfare risks,  the appropriate animal based measurements, and their consequences, describing preventive and corrective measures. It provides recommendations for each system to address specific pig welfare issues related to tail biting and the European citizens' initiative "End the Cage Age".

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords: Animal-based measurements,Adaptation of the animal to the environmentAdaptation of the environment to the animal, Consciousness, Housing, Memory, Enrichment, Risk management, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Societal issues, Livestock farming system, Mutilation, Welfare indicators

Go to document