Brussels, 24/01/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 23 January, the European Commission adopted a Community action plan on animal protection and welfare between 2006 and 2010 (see EUROPE 9114) and presented it to the Agriculture Council, which will examine it in greater detail on 20 February. Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou spoke to Ministers of the five main areas of action: - upgrading existing minimum standards for animal welfare and protection; - giving a higher priority to research (setting up a European laboratory which could serve as a point of reference for coordinating, collecting and exchanging information) and application of the 3Rs principle (replacement, reduction, refinement) that the EU applies to animal testing; - introducing standardised animal welfare indicators; - ensuring that animal keepers/handlers as well as the general public are more involved and informed of current standards of animal protection; - supporting further international initiatives on animal welfare (for example, exploring possible exchanges with developing countries). Sweden thanked the Commission for adopting the action plan. At the end of March, the Austrian Presidency and the Commission are jointly organising a conference on this topic. The following proposals are envisaged:
2006: report on the implementation of the 1998 Directive on the protection of animals kept for farming purposes; amendment of the 2000 Decision on the inspection of farm holdings; - promotion of a European partnership between the Commission and industry to promote alternative approaches to animal testing; - report on the various systems of rearing laying hens; - follow-up survey on consumer attitudes to the protection and welfare of farmed and other animals; - proposal to address public concerns on the trading of cat and dog fur and derived products; - report on the development, validation and regulatory acceptance of alternative methods to animal testing in the field of cosmetics; - work to substantiate and promote the EC's submissions to WTO on animal welfare and agricultural trade and mandatory labelling for agricultural products; - consideration of the need for further harmonisation of the welfare of other farmed species (turkeys, dairy cows); - preparatory work for the establishment of a European Centre-Laboratory for the protection and welfare of animals and the Validation of Alternative Testing Methods; - planning for the possible establishment of a specific Information Platform on Animal Protection and Welfare.
2006-2007: coordination of the Community position on the adoption of revised housing and care guidelines under the Council of Europe Convention 123 (protection of vertebrate animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes) and the Commission proposal for a revision of the 1986 Directive on the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes.
2007: proposal to revise Community legislation on the protection of animals at the time of slaughter or killing, including killing for diseases control purposes; - proposal on the use of vehicle satellite navigation systems in the context of protection for animals during transport (including technical support from the Commission's Joint Research Centre) and development of a system for the real time monitoring of animal welfare conditions during transport; - communication strategy on animal protection and welfare; - organisation of training courses for the staff of member States' competent authorities responsible for enforcing animal welfare rules, with special attention given to participation from accession countries.
2008: report on the protection of calves kept for farming purposes; - report on the possibility of a mandatory labelling system for chicken meat and meat products based in compliance with animal welfare standards.
2009: report on the protection of pigs kept for farming purposes; - identification of Humane Trapping Standards with the aim to implement them in the EU by 2014. 2010: report on the influence of genetic parameters on the welfare of broiler breeders and broiler chickens; - database to gather and store information relating to Community animal welfare legislation; - report on application of measurable indicators in Community animal welfare legislation (based on 2009 outcome of Welfare Quality research project); - creation of a legislative instrument to validate farming systems; - possible establishment of a European Quality Standard emanating from high animal welfare production systems.