Health & Consumer Protection Directorate General

What Can The Community Action Plan achieve for European Consumers

Andrea Gavinelli Andrea Gavinelli Unit D2 Animal Welfare and FeedUnit D2 Animal Welfare and Feed

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The story so farFirst EU AW legislation adopted in 1974

EC Treaty Protocol enters into force 1999: pay ‘‘full regard’’ to the welfare of animals as ‘‘sentient beings’’

White Paper on Food Safety: full integration of AW into EU food chain policy, ‘‘farm to fork approach’’

CAP reforms: ‘‘cross compliance’’ and ‘‘meeting standards’’ principles

The Community Action Plan on the protection and welfare of animals 2006-2010

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The AW Action Plan

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council that proposes five main areas of action

Outlines a range of actions for the period 2006-2010 covering not only farm animals, also laboratory and wild animals

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If you improve animal welfare……

80% believed it would certainly result in better animal health

74% believed products would certainly be more ethically acceptable

58% believed would certainly result in better food quality

57% believed would certainly result in better food safety

EU Web consultation – Winter 2005

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“Consumer concerns about animal welfare and the impact on food choice” FAIR Project 2001

Consumers:

Use AW as an indicator of other product attributes, such as food safety, quality and healthiness

Equate good AW standards with good food standards

Would like to make more informed choices

Signs of higher vegetarianism in the young, mainly for ethical reasons

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Introducing standardised AW indicators

Development, management, research of welfare indicatorsExchange of information and formation of the « auditors »Stakeholder interaction, best practicesA European Centre for the protection and welfare of animals.

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An informed keeper and general public: the best advocates for AW

Establishment of a specific information platform on animal welfare

Dialogue and exchange of experiences between stakeholders

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Animal welfare labelling:

Enable consumers to make an informed choice and producers to benefit from market

opportunities

Possible ways forward:Development of standardised animal welfare indicators Classification and harmonised certification of animal welfare standards applied Systematic exploration of options for labelling

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CAP Measures with a particular potential to address animal welfare issues

Investments in agricultural holdingsAgri-environment/animal welfareProcessing and marketing of agricultural productsTraining“Meeting standards” chapter“Food quality” chapterSetting-up of farm advisory systems

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CAP reform – RD - Food quality

Support for1. Farmers’ participation in FQS2. Activities to inform consumers, 3. Promotion of products produced

under quality schemes.4. Public support up to 70% of eligible

project costs.

11E U R O B A R O M E T E RE U R O B A R O M E T E R

Total "No"Total "Yes"

SI

51%

43%

SK

73%

24%

PL

68%

29%

MT

50%

37%

LT

65%

33%

LV

56%

41%

HU

60%

30%

EE

69%

24%

CZ

74%

21%

CY

38%

56%

UK

45%

47%

SE

29%

67%

FI

62%

36%

PT

58%

33%

AT

45%

48%

NL

52%

46%

LU

32%

64%

IT

42%

51%

IE

57%

32%

FR

56%

40%

ES

62%

32%

EL

29%

66%

DE

46%

52%

DK

35%

63%

BE

64%

34%

EU25

52%

43%

Thinking about animal welfare when purchasing"

12E U R O B A R O M E T E RE U R O B A R O M E T E R

Map Legend

0% - 60%

61% - 70%

71% - 80%

81% - 90%

91% - 100%

Results Map: EU25

Country Results

EU25 74%

Belgium 76%

Denmark 77%

Germany 70%

Greece 85%

Spain 71%

France 76%

Ireland 71%

Italy 75%

Luxembourg 78%

The Netherlands 81%

Austria 79%

Portugal 62%

Finland 79%

Sweden 94%

United Kingdom 76%

Cyprus 91%

Czech Republic 66%

Estonia 57%

Hungary 60%

Latvia 65%

Lithuania 56%

Malta 79%

Poland 74%

Slovakia 68%

Slovenia 66%

Do you believe that buying animal welfare friendly products could have a positive

impact on the welfare/protection of farm animals?

Answers:Total "Yes"

13E U R O B A R O M E T E RE U R O B A R O M E T E R

Total "Additional"SI

65%

SK

35%

PL

54%

MT

44%

LT

33%

LV

45%

HU

34%

EE

44%

CZ

50%

CY

58%

UK

64%

SE

81%

FI

73%

PT

28%

AT

67%

NL

72%

LU

67%

IT

49%

IE

48%

FR

55%

ES

45%

EL

57%

DE

69%

DK

79%

BE

60%

EU25

57%

Are consumers ready to pay more for a better welfare for laying hens?

What additional price premium would you be willing to pay for hen’s eggs

sourced from an animal welfare friendly production system?

Answers:Total "Additional"

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Working towards international consensus

WTOMultilateral animal welfare standards – OIE, Council of EuropeMultilateral and bilateral agreementsLabelling of animal productsSupporting further research on the links between animal health and animal welfare

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Some economic aspectsfrom the “broilers” side…

Irrespective of new welfare measures incomes in the Dutch poultry sector negative over the last 3 years

New Community rules would add 2.5-8 cents to the cost of producing a chicken

But in 2002 average UK net margin per bird only 3 p !!

Cost of producing 1kg of chicken meat: 0.72€ in Brazil, 1.35€ in UK !!

How to adapt our production and who will bear the costs: farmers, processors, retailers, consumers… governments ?

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Creating Business Opportunitythrough Improved Animal Welfare (International Finance Corporation client resources *)

The note demonstrates how good principles of animal welfare in investments in livestock operations in emerging markets could represent a way

to improve quality and productivity.

* http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/agribusiness.nsf/Content/LivestockProcessing

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