International

European Union - Overall Animal Health and Welfare

March 2007

• Introduction
• Animal Health:Community Animal Health Policy & Animal Health Strategy (2007-13)*
• Animal Welfare:Community Action Plan on the Protection and Welfare of Animals (2006-10)

Animal Welfare:
Community Action Plan on the Protection and Welfare of Animals (2006-10)

• Purpose
• Context
• Scope
• Objectives
• Accountability
• Implementation
• Of Note to Canada

Purpose

The purpose of the Community Action Plan on the Protection and Welfare of Animals is to:

• Promote minimum animal welfare standards across the EU in order to protect animals from unnecessary pain/ suffering in three main areas: farming, transport and slaughter
• Apply the principles of the 5 Freedoms adopted by many other countries (developed by the British Farm Animal Welfare Council in 1979, revised in 1993). Freedom from:
• discomfort
• hunger and thirst
• fear and distress
• pain, injury, disease and freedom to
• express normal behaviour
• Clarify EU legislation and identify areas that need improvement
• Ensure a consistent approach to animal protection and welfare throughout EC policies while considering the socio-economic impact of any measures
• To set minimum standards which member states/countries can improve upon

Context

• The EU recognizes animals as sentient beings and has been developing animal welfare legislation for over 30 years as one of the international world leaders in animal welfare
• A fundamental principle guiding EU legislation on animal welfare has been the 5 Freedoms (developed by the British Farm Animal Welfare Council)
• All member states/countries must have and apply animal welfare policies to ensure that animals are not subjected to any unnecessary pain or suffering
• The Treaty of Amsterdam (implemented in1999, an amendment to the Treaty on the EU) and other related treaties and acts, laid out the ground rules for the EU on animal welfare in a special Protocol
  • "Protocol on the Protection and Welfare of Animals":
  • acknowledged animals as sentient beings and obliges the EU to consider animal welfare when drafting and implementing legislation
  • states that the EU is responsible for legislating improvements in animal welfare and preventing the cruelty and mistreatment of animals
  • primarily applies to agriculture
  • member states/countries are responsible for animals in other areas, such as competitions, shows, cultural/sporting events (i.e. dog fighting/racing, bullfighting)
• The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe(2004) also commits to ensuring the protection of animals and dictates that:
  • EU member states/countries shall consider animal welfare when drafting and implementing EU policies specific to agriculture, fisheries, transport, internal markets, research and technological development and space policies
  • legislative and administrative provisions and customs of member states/countries will be respected, particularly religious/cultural traditions

Scope

General Strategy:

• Community Action Plan on the Protection and Welfare of Animals (2006-2010), also called "The Action Plan on Animal Welfare", addresses the principles of the Protocol on the Protection andWelfare of Animals, annexed to the EC Treaty by the Amsterdam Treaty
• EU Convention for the Protection of Animals:
  • establishes minimum welfare standards for animals (including fish, reptiles and amphibians) and farmed animals with respect to housing, feed and care appropriate to animal needs
  • applies to animals raised for the production of food/wool/skin/fur or for other farming purposes
  • does not apply to wild animals, invertebrates and animals used in sporting/cultural events/experimental or laboratory animals or
  • member states/countries must comply with rules concerning farming space and environment, feed, animal health and organized inspection of any apparatus used in intensive farming system
  • these rules and directives reflect the Five Freedoms (British Farm Animal Welfare Council)
• Protection of Animals kept for farming purposes (EC Directive 1998) specific schemes:
  • Protection of chickens for meat production (EC Directive 2005)
  • Protection of laying hens (EC Directive 1999)
  • Protection of calves (EC Directive 1991)
  • Protection of pigs (EC Directive 1991)
  • Protection of animals during transport
• Protection of Animals at the time of slaughter/killing (EC Directive 1993), including the Protection of Animals used for experimental purposes (EC Directive 1986)
• Specifically, animal welfare legislation protocols and policies apply to fish, reptiles, amphibians, and animals:
  • farmed/ confined
  • during transport
  • at the time of slaughter or killing
  • raised for the production of food/wool/skin/fur
  • used for experiments
• Member states/countries already label their products based on compliance with animal welfare standards
• Animal welfare labelling standards have been used since 2004 for marketing eggs and poultry meat
• Consumer and producer attitudes have shifted from simply preventing animal cruelty and suffering to promoting animal welfare and meeting most animal needs
• Since the 1960s, various Council of European Conventions have dealt with the protection of animals including animals used for experiments, for farming and during transport or slaughter

Objectives

Objectives of the The Action Plan on Animal Welfare are to ensure food safety, and protect the economy and society from the adverse effects of animal disease while allowing a single market to work effectively efficiently by the following:

• Clearly define the future direction of community policies on animal protection and welfare
• Promote high animal welfare standards in the EU and internationally
• Ensure that animals are not subjected to unnecessary pain or suffering and that animal owners/keepers respect minimum animal welfare requirements
• Provide greater coordination of existing resources
• Support animal welfare research
• Support the 3 R (replacement, reduction and refinement) principles as alternative approaches to testing on animals
• Clarify EU legislation and identify areas that need improvement
• Ensure a consistent approach to animal protection and welfare throughout the EC (European Commission) policies, while considering the socio-economic impact of any measures

Accountability

The European Commission is primarily responsible for ensuring that all legislation of The Action Plan on Animal Welfare is implemented and enforced by member states/countries. Therefore member states/countries are required to enforce EC legislation within their borders.

The Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) also monitors compliance through inspections of EC legislation on food safety and quality, and veterinary and plant health, within the EU and importing countries.

Other EC Directorates that share implementation and enforcement responsibilities include the:

• Directorate General of Environment - protection of wild animals and animals used for experimental/ scientific purposes
• Directorate General Enterprise - legislation on cosmetic products, including rules for animal testing of cosmetics
• Directorate for Research - Common Agriculture Policy (2002) which also deals with farm animal welfare concerns
  

Common Agriculture Policy (CAP)
[based on the Treaty of Rome]
The CAP was developed in the 1950s and 60s in response to the post-Second World war demand for increased food production. Currently, the CAP provides subsidies to farmers to encourage food production, promote rural development and support changing agricultural practices. Recent reforms address a sanctioning system for animal welfare compliance and provide financial support for farmers who exceed baseline animal care practices. The CAP supports statutory standards for the environment, food safety, animal and plant health, and animal welfare, and also has policies related to organic food and farming.

Implementation

Main aspects of the Action Plan on Animal Welfare:

• Upgrade minimum standards for animal protection and welfare
• Promote research into animal welfare and alternative methods for animal testing including applying the 3 R principles
• Introduce standardized welfare indicators
• Ensure that the public and professionals are more involved and better informed on current standards of animal protection and welfare, and appreciate their role in promoting animal protection and welfare
• Support international initiatives for animal protections and welfare

Of Note to Canada

• The EU promoting high animal welfare standards internationally and across its member states/countries
• Canada's provinces/territories/regions could be considered equivalent to EU member states/countries
• Policies are intended to apply consistent animal protection and welfare standards across the EU
• The EU has been one of the international world leaders in animal welfare
• Customs of member states/countries will be respected, particularly religious/cultural traditions