Legal provisions of COM(2006)669 - Minimum standards for the protection of pigs (Codified version) - Main contents
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dossier | COM(2006)669 - Minimum standards for the protection of pigs (Codified version). |
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document | COM(2006)669 ![]() |
date | December 18, 2008 |
Contents
Article 1
Article 2
1. | ‘pig’ means an animal of the porcine species, of any age, kept for breeding or fattening; |
2. | ‘boar’ means a male pig after puberty, intended for breeding; |
3. | ‘gilt’ means a female pig after puberty and before farrowing; |
4. | ‘sow’ means a female pig after the first farrowing; |
5. | ‘farrowing sow’ means a female pig between the perinatal period and the weaning of the piglets; |
6. | ‘dry pregnant sow’ means a sow between weaning her piglets and the perinatal period; |
7. | ‘piglet’ means a pig from birth to weaning; |
8. | ‘weaner’ means a pig from weaning to the age of 10 weeks; |
9. | ‘rearing pig’ means a pig from 10 weeks to slaughter or service; |
10. | ‘competent authority’ means a competent authority within the meaning of Article 2(6) of Council Directive 90/425/EEC of 26 June 1990 concerning veterinary and zootechnical checks applicable in intra-Community trade in certain live animals and products with a view to the completion of the internal market (7). |
Article 3
(a) | the unobstructed floor area available to each weaner or rearing pig kept in a group, excluding gilts after service and sows, must be at least:
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(b) | the total unobstructed floor area available to each gilt after service and to each sow when gilts and/or sows are kept in groups must be at least 1,64 m2 and 2,25 m2 respectively. When these animals are kept in groups of fewer than six individuals the unobstructed floor area must be increased by 10 %. When these animals are kept in groups of 40 or more individuals the unobstructed floor area may be decreased by 10 %. |
2. Member States shall ensure that flooring surfaces comply with the following requirements:
(a) | for gilts after service and pregnant sows: a part of the area required in paragraph 1(b), equal to at least 0,95 m2 per gilt and at least 1,3 m2 per sow, must be of continuous solid floor of which a maximum of 15 % is reserved for drainage openings; |
(b) | when concrete slatted floors are used for pigs kept in groups:
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3. Member States shall ensure that the construction of or conversion to installations in which sows and gilts are tethered is prohibited. From 1 January 2006 the use of tethers for sows and gilts shall be prohibited.
4. Member States shall ensure that sows and gilts are kept in groups during a period starting from four weeks after the service to one week before the expected time of farrowing. The pen where the group is kept must have sides greater than 2,8 m in length. When fewer than six individuals are kept in a group the pen where the group is kept must have sides greater than 2,4 m in length.
By way of derogation from the first subparagraph, sows and gilts raised on holdings with fewer than 10 sows may be kept individually during the period mentioned in that subparagraph, provided that they can turn around easily in their boxes.
5. Member States shall ensure that, without prejudice to the requirements laid down in Annex I, sows and gilts have permanent access to manipulable material at least complying with the relevant requirements of that Annex.
6. Member States shall ensure that sows and gilts kept in groups are fed using a system which ensures that each individual can obtain sufficient food even when competitors for the food are present.
7. Member States shall ensure that all dry pregnant sows and gilts, in order to satisfy their hunger and given the need to chew, are given a sufficient quantity of bulky or high-fibre food as well as high-energy food.
8. Member States shall ensure that pigs that have to be kept in groups, that are particularly aggressive, that have been attacked by other pigs or that are sick or injured may temporarily be kept in individual pens. In this case the individual pen used shall allow the animal to turn around easily if this is not in contradiction with specific veterinary advice.
9. The provisions laid down in paragraphs 1(b), 2, 4, 5 and the last sentence of paragraph 8 shall apply to all holdings newly built or rebuilt or brought into use for the first time after 1 January 2003. From 1 January 2013 those provisions shall apply to all holdings.
The provisions laid down in the first subparagraph of paragraph 4 shall not apply to holdings with fewer than 10 sows.
Article 4
Article 5
Article 6
(a) | any person who employs or engages persons to attend to pigs ensures that the person attending to the animals has received instructions and guidance on the relevant provisions of Article 3 and Annex I; |
(b) | appropriate training courses are available. In particular such training courses must focus on welfare aspects. |
Article 7
2. Not later than 1 January 2008 the Commission shall submit to the Council a report, drawn up on the basis of an opinion from the European Food Safety Authority.
The report shall cover in particular:
(a) | the effects of stocking density, including group size and methods of grouping the animals, in different farming systems on the welfare, including health, of pigs; |
(b) | the impact of stall design and different flooring types on the welfare, including health, of pigs, taking into account different climatic conditions; |
(c) | the risk factors associated with tail-biting and recommendations to reduce the need for tail-docking; |
(d) | further developments of group-housing systems for pregnant sows, taking account both of pathological, zootechnical, physiological and ethological aspects of the various systems and of their health and environmental impact and of the different climatic conditions; |
(e) | the determination of space requirements, including the service area for individually housed adult breeding boars; |
(f) | further developments of loose-house systems for sows in the service area and for farrowing sows which meet the needs of the sow without compromising piglet survival; |
(g) | consumers’ attitudes and behaviour towards pigmeat in the event of different levels of improvement in the welfare of the animals; |
(h) | socioeconomic implications of the various systems of rearing pigs and their effects on the Community’s economic partners. |
The report may, if necessary, be accompanied by appropriate legislative proposals.
Article 8
These inspections, which may be carried out on the occasion of checks made for other purposes, shall each year cover a statistically representative sample of the different rearing systems used in each Member State.
2. The Commission shall, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 11(2), draw up a code of rules to be applied in carrying out the inspections provided for in paragraph 1 of this Article.
3. Every two years, by the last working day in April and for the first time by 30 April 1996, Member States shall inform the Commission of the results of the inspections carried out during the previous two years in accordance with this Article, including the number of inspections carried out in proportion to the number of holdings in their territory.
Article 9
Article 10
The Member State in the territory of which a check is being carried out shall give all necessary assistance to the experts in carrying out their duties. The Commission shall inform the competent authority of the Member State concerned of the results of the checks.
The competent authority of the Member State concerned shall take any measures which may prove necessary to take account of the results of the check.
With regard to relations with third countries, the provisions of Chapter III of Council Directive 91/496/EEC of 15 July 1991 laying down the principles governing the organization of veterinary checks on animals entering the Community from third countries (8) shall apply.
General rules for the application of this Article shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 11(2).
Article 11
2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 5 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply.
The period laid down in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at three months.
Article 12
Article 13
References to the repealed Directive shall be construed as references to this Directive and shall be read in accordance with the correlation table in Annex III.