News

Commission designates a second European Union Reference Centre

Summary
  • Subject
    Second EURCAW for Poultry
More info
In October 2019, the Commission designated a second Reference Centre dedicated to the welfare of poultry and other small farmed animals. This centre aims at improving the enforcement of the EU legislation applicable to those animals, such as laying hens, chickens for meat production and other small farmed animals, including their transport and killing operation.

The centre is constituted of a consortium formed by the Agence Nationale de Sécurité Sanitaire de l’Alimentation (France), and also composed of the Institut de Recerca I Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (Spain), Aarhus Universitet – Institut for Husdyrvidenskab (Denmark), and Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna (Italy).

EURCAW-Pigs is the first centre, being designated in March 2018. This second Centre will expand the technical support and coordinated assistance to the Member States to carry out official controls on animal welfare. It will also contribute to the dissemination of good practices, as well as carrying out scientific studies, training courses and disseminating research and information on technical innovations. Improving the enforcement of the legislation is one of the Commission's priorities in the area of animal welfare.

The second EU Reference Centre for Animal Welfare will start operating in 2020.

Photo: Poultry (© Marko Ruis)