Brussels, 24/06/2009 (Agence Europe) - EU agriculture ministers reach a political agreement on Monday 22 June in Luxembourg on the regulation to reduce animal suffering as much as possible when they are slaughtered. The regulation replaces the 1993 directive on animal protection at slaughter and enters into force on 1 January 2013.
It aims to: prevent pain and reduce stress and suffering of animals slaughtered in the process of eradicating contagious diseases; improve animal protection during their slaughter or culling; update, in the light of scientific progress, stunning techniques and slaughter of animals; simplification of the legislative framework and increasing operator responsibility.
The main provisions include: the appointment (in slaughterhouses of a certain size) of a person in charge of checking animal welfare (Mr Animal Welfare); increase the level of staff skills (the obligation, for the personnel involved in animal slaughter to pass a “skills certificate”; regular follow-up into stunning technique efficiency; in the event of meat imported from third countries, an attestation and health certificate will be required (certifying that at least equivalent demands to those in the EU have been reached).
Every year, almost 360 million pigs, sheep, goats and cattle, as well as four billion poultry are slaughtered in European Union abattoirs. The European fur industry also kills 25 million animals every year, while 330 million chicks are slaughtered in hatcheries. The fight against contagious diseases also requires millions of animals to be slaughtered. (L.C./trans/rh)