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SLAUGHTER
: : About the issue

The slaughter process is extremely stressful for the hundreds of millions of cattle, calves, sheep and pigs and the billions of poultry that are killed for their meat in the EU each year. There are many possibilities for the animals to suffer injuries and distress from the time they are being prepped for transport to the time they are put to death. They must be spared any avoidable excitement or pain at any stage.

 
: : What is the current situation?

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.

 

 

 
: : What is Eurogroup calling for?

Eurogroup is calling for:

Eurogroup would like to see the phasing out of live-shackling, which involves hanging birds upside down in a shackle before killing. At present, poultry are shackled on automated lines and electrical waterbaths are used to stun the animals. This is the most commonly used technique used by industry, but also the most painful and stressful for the birds.

The new Slaughter Regulation has stipulated that the European Commission will have to report on stunning methods of poultry before 2013.

 

Eurogroup also calls for all animals to be stunned before they are killed. As Member States are allowed to have stricter rules, this

will be the case in some countries. But in others, such as France or Belgium, a very high percentage of the meat of animals that were killed without stunning for religious reasons still end up on the normal (non-religious) consumer market.. As long as slaughter without stunning is allowed, religious slaughter must be limited to religious  customers only, and consumer must be informed if the products they wish to purchase result from religious slaughter methods.

The European Commission will need to present a report on the possible introduction of standards for slaughtering fish before 2014. This report should be accompanied by legislative proposals to introduce rules on the slaughter of farmed fish.

 

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Last updated: December 11, 2009
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

European Union

 

Directive 93/119/EC on the protection of animals at the time of slaughter or killing

 

European Parliament report by Janusz Wojciechowksi

 

Commission proposal for revision of current directive

 

Text adopted by the European Parliament (6 May 2009)

 

Eurogroup documents

 

Position paper

 

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