Brussels, 01/06/2005 (Agence Europe) - On 30 May the European Commission adopted a Directive on the protection of chickens kept for meat production (broilers). Scientific studies have revealed serious health and welfare shortcomings in the intensive farming of chickens. This is the first European legislation on the matter. Currently only the general requirements of the 1998 Directive on the welfare of farm animals apply. The proposal only applies to establishments with at least 100 chickens or establishments with breeding stocks of chickens and hatcheries. Member States shall ensure that the stocking density of chickens per square metre of useable area ('stocking density') in establishments or single units of an establishment does not exceed 30 kilogrammes live weight. Member States must ensure that the owners respect the demands required for the animals' welfare. Farmers must ensure appropriate access to litter, drinkers and feed as well as proper ventilation. Buildings must have a certain amount of light and there must be at minimum two daily inspections. Any chickens that are seriously injured or in poor health must be treated or immediately culled. These minimum standards are supplemented by detailed record-keeping requirements on issues such as house temperatures, medical treatments administered or mortality rates and the causes if they are known, average weight when chickens are sent to slaughter, the number of them sent to the abattoir and the number of them that arrive dead at the slaughter house. A derogation is planned: Member State farms that meet enhanced welfare conditions will be allowed to stock up to 38 kg/m2 as long as inspection documents are included (each unit or farmer has to be equipped with very modern ventilation, heating and cooling systems and data registration (temperature and humidity etc).
Labelling chicken meat
The proposal requires the Commission to report within two years on a possible mandatory labelling scheme based on compliance with the animal welfare standards in the Directive. The report will be accompanied by legislative proposals taking account of the experience acquired by Member States thanks to the application of voluntary labelling systems.