Only Seven Countries Ready for Sow Stalls Ban
EU - Only three member countries — United Kingdom, Sweden and Luxembourg — are already compliant with Europe's partial stalls ban due to enter into force in January 2013, according to the European...

Why Should Spain Call for Moratorium of EC Rules?
ANALYSIS - This week the Spanish farmers issued a plea to their ministry of agriculture to intercede on their behalf to gain time with the European Commission over the introduction of enriched cages for...

Guidelines for Risk Assessment of Animal Welfare
EU - The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published pioneering guidelines laying out, for the first time, a standardised methodology for the risk assessment of animal welfare.

Animal Responses Effective for Evaluating Welfare
EU - Animal-based measures to assess the welfare of dairy cows and pigs are effective and should be used wherever possible, according to recent scientific advice from the European Food Safety Authority...

Does the Animal Welfare Strategy Go Far Enough?
ANALYSIS - Today, the European Commission has adopted a new four-year strategy that aims to further improve the welfare of animals in the European Union, writes Charlotte Johnston, editor of ThePigSite....

EU Must Learn from Cage Ban, Say Pig Producers
EU - NFU Scotland has met EU Commission animal welfare staff asking that lessons be learned from the debacle that surrounded recent laying hen legislation ahead of the deadline for implementation of similar...

Ag Council Discusses Welfare and MRLs
EU - The Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting last week covered animal welfare during transport – a key area for the incoming Danish presidency - bluetongue vaccination, maximum residues limits...

UK & Denmark Will Meet Stall Ban but What About the Rest of EU?
EU ANALYSIS - The Danish pig industry will be ready to comply with the EU ban on traditional sow stalls when it comes into force in 2013, writes Chris Harris.

Vaccine to Reduce Boar Taint Treats Over 1M Pigs
EU - Pfizer Animal Health announced today that over one million pigs have already been treated in Europe with its innovative vaccine to reduce boar taint.

Imposing Animal Transport Enforcements
EU - Although EU regulations have led to improving the welfare of animals when transported, more can be done to tighten up on enforcements, according to a European Commission report.

CAP Fails to Consider Animal Welfare
EU - Eurogroup for Animals is extremely disappointed that the Commission in the proposals published today has missed the opportunity to address the animal welfare problems caused by very intensive systems...

Campaign Informs Sow Farmers About Feeding Stations
EU - From 1 January 2013, all sow farmers in the EU will have to house pregnant sows in a group. In order to give a clear and complete picture of the options relating to group housing using pig feeding...

Draft CAP Proposal Does Not Improve Welfare
EU - Eurogroup for Animals is extremely disappointed that in the draft proposals on the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) leaked recently, the Commission does not address the concerns of millions...

WTO Public Forum 2011 & the Welfare Challenges
EU - Animal welfare organisations are scrutinising the impact of trade rules on environmental, social and domestic policies.

EFSA Consults on GM Effects on Health & Welfare
EU - EFSA has launched a public consultation on draft guidance for the risk assessment of food and feed derived from genetically modified (GM) animals and related animal health and welfare aspects.

Implementation of Animal Welfare Directives
EU - Several European Animal Welfare Directives for the protection of broilers, laying hens and pigs are reaching their final implementation dates in 2010, 2012 and 2013, respectively.

Alternatives to Surgical Castration of Pigs
EU - Eurogroup welcomes the news that during the last meeting of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH), Member States unanimously voted in favour of the financing decision...

New Campaign to Stop Food from Cloned Animals
EU - Eurogroup for Animals has launched a new campaign, Clone-Free-Food, and a Declaration to gather support to end, as soon as possible, the use of cloning for food production in Europe.

NFU Backs European Approach on AMR
EU - MEPs have called for the responsible and prudent use of antimicrobial medicines in food animals, in a resolution adopted by the European Parliament.

EC GM Stance Should Apply to Animals
EUROPE - Eurogroup for Animals has expressed concern that the European Commission is to present an ethical and moral list to justify a ban on genetically modified (GM) crops to the European Council today...

MEPs Support Future Ban on Intensive Production
EU - Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are backing a campaign to end 'factory pig farming'.

Boars' Behaviour Improves with Improvac
EU - The Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use (CVMP) and the European Commission (EC) have approved the use of the boar taint vaccine Improvac® for the reduction of aggressive and sexual...

EFSA: Welfare Risks to Animals During Transport
EU - Scientists on the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) AHAW Panel have made a number of recommendations based upon a thorough review of the most recent scientific literature from 2004 to date,...

Voluntary End to Surgical Castration of Piglets by 2018
EU - The European Commission welcomes the announcement made earlier this week that several main actors in the pig meat chain have agreed on a plan to voluntarily end the surgical castration of pigs in...

Pig Welfare Takes Major Step Forward
EU - Eurogroup for Animals yesterday welcomed the publication of the European declaration on the Alternatives to Surgical Castration of Pigs which will stop this cruel and painful practice.

EC to Organise Second Welfare Workshop
EU - The European Commission is organising its second workshop on pig welfare on 11 November 2010.

EU Countries Prepare for Stalls Ban
EU - At a recent meeting in Brussels, representatives from EU countries were reluctant to declare their country's level of preparedness for the sow stall ban due to come into effect in 2013.

EC Proposes Ban on Use of Cloned Animals
EU - The European Commission has proposed a temporary five year ban on the use of cloned animals for food, says a leaked draft report of DG SANCO due to be adopted by the College of Commissioners next...

NFUS: Transport and Layers with EU Welfare Officials
EU - NFU Scotland has sat down with European Commission officials to encourage them to better enforce existing animal transport laws before giving consideration to new rules that could impinge on Scotland’s...

European Parliament Pushes for Cloning Ban
EU - Eurogroup for Animals welcomes today’s overwhelming vote in favour of a ban for cloning animals for food production by the European Parliament.