On 13 April, the European Commission adopted a positive report on implementation of Directive 2007/43/EC which sets out the minimum rules for the welfare of chickens kept for meat production.
Broiler farming is an important part of the EU agricultural economy and implementation of the directive has not entailed any major cost, the report states. The directive has provided a framework whereby member states have improved management and housing for broilers, and this has had a positive effect on the health and welfare of the poultry, the report concludes.
Controls based on monitoring footpad dermatitis are best able to show that fowl welfare has been improved. Two thirds of member states have already established systems for monitoring footpad dermatitis. The possible adverse effects of high stocking densities have been mitigated by applying higher requirements and monitoring, the report also points out. Conditions at hatcheries and/or parent flocks are often blamed for the high mortality rates but no measures have been taken by the authorities to address this suspicion, experts say. The proper assessment of the more technical requirements, such as ventilation, which have an influence on the welfare of the poultry, is also a challenge for the authorities. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)