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The European Commission proposed in September
2008 to revise directive 93/119/EC on the protection
of animals at the time of slaughter or killing.
It needed urgent updating so as to take into account
new scientific and technological developments. Political agreement on the revised text, now a Regulation, was reached in June 2009 and the text was formally adopted in September 2009.
The main improvements are:
- All slaughterhouse personnel who come into contact with animals will need to pass an examination before they can start work. This also applies to operatives who carry out ritual slaughter and supervisors in fur farms.
- Slaughterhouses will be required to appoint an animal welfare officer, who will be responsible for the supervision of animal welfare and compliance with the regulation. Only small slaughterhouses are exempt to this rule.
- Slaughterhouses will need to closely monitor the effectiveness of their efforts to stun the animal before killng, or, if the animal has been ritually slaughtered, the effectiveness of loss of consciousness or sensibility. If it is clear that the animals are still conscious immediately before killing, corrective actions must be taken.
- Slaughterhouses must follow standard operating procedures which can be checked or amended by the competent authorities . Those procedures should be based on guides to good practices that have been prepared in conjunction with NGOs.
- Several improved technical and equipment requirements have been introduced.
We are currently awaiting the publication of the new Regulation in the EU's Official Journal. Only after publication can the new law enter its final stage of implementation. The new Regulation is set enter into force on 1 January 2013.
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