1. Developments in AW policies
in the EU
« Everyone is responsible »
Andrea Gavinelli
Animal Welfare Unit
Directorate General for Health and
Consumers
2. Almost 40 years of EU policies on
animal welfare !
1974: First EU legislation addressing AW
1999: First time animal protection is part of the EU Treaty
“animals are sentient beings”
2001: AW fully integrated into food safety policies
2005: Welfare Quality Research Project starts
2006-2010: Community Action Plan
2010: European Parliament policy analysis and recommendations
2010: First evaluation on the EU policy on animal welfare completed
2012: New EU Strategy
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3. The main goals of the first Community
Action Plan (2006-2010)
1. Upgrading existing minimum standards
2. High priority to promoting future research
3. Introducing the use of standardised animal
welfare indicators
4. Ensuring that animal keepers/ handlers as well
as the general public are more involved and
informed
5. Continue to support and initiate further
international initiatives
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4. The European Parliament assess the results
achieved and calls for further advancements
In 2010 the EP supported the achievements of the 2006
Action Plan.
Called for a new EU Strategy to fully integrate animal
welfare in EU policies with in particular:
1. A EU framework law on Animal Welfare
2. A European Network of Reference Centers
3. Stricter enforcement of the legislation
4. Use of AW indicators to develop future AW standards and
legislation
5. Application of equivalent standards to imports
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5. Key features of the new EU strategy
A new fundamental approach having a
general and long term effect:
More business and outcome oriented
The strategy recognizes that consumers behavior
rewarding farmers represent one of the most
important drivers for animal welfare investments
• A clear action plan for better communication and
education:
• Directed to citizens
• Directed to operators and food chain stakeholders
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6. A new simplified legal framework
1. Use of outcome-based indicators
2. Increase transparency for consumers with
proper information and uniform enforcement
3. A European Network of Reference Centres
4. Streamlining requirements for the competence
of staff
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7. A new simplified legal framework
1. Extended use of outcome-
based indicators
1. Scientifically validated
2. Simplification of the acquis
3. Already introduced with
success in the EU legislation
(broilers, slaughter)
4. Internationally recognized
(OIE and other countries in
the world)
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8. A new simplified legal framework
2. Increase the transparency to
consumers:
• Ensuring consumers that animal
welfare claims are transparent
and scientifically relevant
• Legislative and non legislative
options will be explored to
enhance consumer
empowerment
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9. A new simplified legal framework
3. Future European Network of Reference
Centers – Proposed Tasks
• Technical support/maintenance for AW indicators
• Organizing vocational training
• Dissemination of research and innovation
• Coordination of EU research
• Monitoring the economics of AW
• Integrating data and research from related areas
such as animal and public health, environment
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10. A new simplified legal framework
4. Key Requirement for competence of animal
handlers:
• Identify, prevent or limit pain, suffering and
distress for the animals
• Know legal obligations
• Knowledge of design of processes, facilities and
equipments applicable to animals and their impact
on Animal Health and Welfare
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11. Reinforcing existing EU actions
Improve compliance
• « Food and Veterinary Office » work;
• Infringement proceedings towards non compliant
Member States;
• « Better Training for Safer Food initiative »:
training the trainers
• Thematic multi stakeholders working groups for
enforcement
• Guidelines and implementing rules
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12. Reinforcing existing EU actions
EU support to international cooperation on animal
welfare: a growing of interest and experience
worldwide
• Bilateral cooperations through Free Trade
Agreements and cooperation forums
(Chile, Australia, New
Zealand, Canada, Korea, Switzerland)
• Multilateral activities in OIE and FAO
• EU neighbourhood policies (Serbia and the
Balcans, Ukraine) and accession (Croatia, Turkey)
• Organising major international events
• Report on animal welfare and competitiveness in a12
globalised world
13. Reinforcing existing EU actions
Priority to provide information to
citizens, operators and consumers:
• Farmland (children 9-12 years)
• BTSF (official vets)
MORE IS NEEDED!
• Future study on animal welfare
education and information to invest
on transnational information
campaigns or educational initiatives
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14. Reinforcing existing EU actions
Optimising EU Common Agricultural Policies
• Most EU budget on animal welfare is spent
through CAP in particular rural development
measures (70 mills € per year).
The funds are more directed to structural investments than
education/information activities or scientific developments
• Need to reinforce EU strategic cooperation on
cross-compliance, rural development, promotional
measures, quality policy, organic farming, etc.
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15. To achieve the goals of the strategy
and to deliver high quality policies all
stakeholders are called to cooperate
and share knowledge:
the experience of the European
Animal Welfare Platform
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