Brussels, 13/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission will, on Thursday 19 January, propose revision of the current legislative framework on farmed animal welfare, putting in place of science-based indicators. The aim is to simplify the current panoply of rules. Denmark has made animal welfare one of its priorities for agriculture during the first half of this year.
On Thursday of next week, the European Commission will adopt a communication setting out a new five-year (2011-2015) strategy to further improve the protection and welfare of animals in the EU. “The diversity of farming systems, climate conditions and also the soil of the various member states complicates tremendously the task of drafting uniform rules and, to an even greater extent, the proper application of these rules”, according to DG Health and Consumer Protection.
The Commission will look at the need for a revised legislative framework, particularly the introduction of science-based and result-oriented indicators, according to a draft text on the EU strategy on animal protection and welfare 2011-2015. The Commission wants to determine if an approach of this sort could lead to a simplified legislative framework and help improve the competiveness of EU agriculture. The Commission also proposes: - instruments to increase compliance by member states with animal welfare rules; - support for international cooperation; - better information to consumers on the efforts made by the EU on animal protection standards.
Initiatives include: - in 2012: implementing measures for the protection of laying hens (directive of 1999), implementing measures on keeping sows in groups (directive of 2008), implementation of the 2009 regulation on slaughter, guidelines for the protection of animals during transport, a report on the impact of genetic selection on the welfare of chickens; - in 2013: a report on the various methods of stunning poultry, guidelines on pig protection, study on animal welfare education and information campaigns for consumers, a study into the need to provide consumers with information on the stunning of animals; - in 2014: a possible proposal on a simplified EU legislative framework for animal welfare, a report on the impact of international animal welfare activities on the competitiveness of European farmers, a report on cattle, EU guidelines or implementing rules on animals protection at the time of slaughter; - in 2015: a report on the implementation of the 2007 directive on the protection of chickens reared for meat production. The European Commission and the Danish Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers will hold an international conference on animal welfare in Brussels on 29 February and 1 March. (LC/transl.rt)