Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety.
A European Commission report on the welfare of laying hens concludes that current national official controls do in fact ensure the general application of EU requirements in Member States.
The General Directorate of Health and Food Safety from European Comission (DG SANTE) has published this Monday, March 27, a report on the official controls related to the protection of the welfare of laying hens in all phases of production.
This report presents the result of a project undertaken in 2021 that assessed the official controls linked to the protection of the welfare of laying hens in all phases of production in the European Union.
They took place audits in nine Member States and questionnaires were sent to 16 others, providing an overview of such controls and highlighting good practice, while identifying common challenges facing the sector.
The report concludes that the current controls national officers de facto guarantee the general application of EU requirements in the Member States. It also points out that some Member States have introduced additional requirements that went beyond the strict EU controls, which has resulted in the welfare protection of laying hens varying across the EU from one Member State to another.
These additional national provisions allowed laying hens to enjoy better conditions and, in general, higher welfare, potentially creating unequal conditions for producers across the EU.
In addition, the report found that the no specific welfare requirements for younger hens (pulls and chicks) results in a low number of welfare checks in hatcheries and pullet farms.
Las conclusions of the report will be incorporated into the ongoing work of the Commission to review animal welfare legislation.
ACCESS THE REPORT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION