Brussels, 06/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - In Strasbourg on 16th Airdrie, the European Parliament is due to take position in favour of tightening up proposed provisions on minimum standards of protection for broiler chickens. The report by Thijs Berman (PES, Netherlands) was adopted on 26 January by the committee on agriculture of the EP, and amends the proposal of the European Commission to limit the time available under derogations granted on the reduction of the rearing density, banning certain cruel medical practices, and bringing in a uniform European labelling system for chicken meat (EUROPE 9038 and 8994).
Mr Berman's report does not change the spirit of the proposal providing to reduce rearing densities to 30 kg per square metre (kg/m2) for chickens destined for meat production. Amendments were, however, brought in to drop the derogation tolerating a maximum of 38 kg/m2 for holdings which observed much stricter animal welfare criteria, by 1 January 2003 at the latest. As of this date in 2013, rearing densities may no longer exceed 34 kg/m2, according to the report as voted on by the committee of the EP.
Other changes to the proposal mean that holdings can be obliged to respect strict and precise standards: non-flickering light of a minimum intensity of 50 lux per cycle of 24 hours, maximum humidity of 70% (when the external temperature is below 10° C), maximum temperature of 3°C above the exterior temperature (when this exceeds 30° C), sufficient ventilation, regular feeding times, permanent access to water, minimum noise, dry bedding and site inspections twice a day.
The committee on agriculture of the EP hopes to put an end to the possibility of practising surgical interventions which are painful for the animal, such as the removal of the beak or castration. The report carries an obligation for national authorities to carry out surprise checks on all holdings once a year. If the standards are not being observed, the governments will be able to sanction the farmers by requiring them to reduce their rearing densities.
The report also recognises the creation of a uniform classification system for the symptoms of chicken diseases and a common system for labelling chicken meat, in order to inform consumers about rearing conditions (the origin, production standards and rearing density will all appear on the label). Lastly, an amendment calls upon the Commission to check and, if necessary, to ban imports of broiler chickens from third countries, if these have come from farms which do not observe welfare rules comparable to those in force in the EU.