Polish farmers: better animal welfare in the EU requires funding

At a meeting of the European Union's Animal Welfare Platform, the Polish federation of farm-sector associations FBZPR (Federacja Branżowych Związków Producentów Rolnych) and Copa-Cogeca, the umbrella group of European farmers' organisations, argued that higher welfare standards on farms must be matched by adequate funding from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Otherwise, they say, the profitability of production could be put at risk. FBZPR was represented at the meeting by expert Adam Drosio.

CAP funding

The European Commission presented options for supporting animal welfare investments through CAP instruments. Copa-Cogeca stressed that such funding helps put in place solutions that improve animal housing conditions. FBZPR notes that farms differ in production scale, structure and investment capacity, so requirements should also take their economic situation into account.

A common assessment methodology

FBZPR called for a shared welfare assessment methodology with simple, measurable indicators and uniform interpretation of data. Collecting and recording data should be followed by verification carried out by the competent veterinary services. According to the federation, this would reduce the risk of diverging assessments and make it easier to compare results between member states. The Commission regarded the issue as important and pledged to take it into account in further work.

Doubts over the scientific basis

The discussion raised doubts about welfare recommendations for turkeys. FBZPR says that, because of gaps in scientific knowledge, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) relied on studies of other poultry species for part of its recommendations. Participants considered that further research is needed so that recommendations reflect the biological needs of the species.

Transport of live animals

The meeting also discussed whether live animal transport could be replaced by shipping carcasses and meat. Breeders' representatives point out that live animal shipments for specific customers' needs, and say that restricting them could let producers from non-EU countries take over part of the market. FBZPR therefore asks for an analysis of the socio-economic effects of such a substitution, including its impact on international trade and the competitiveness of EU farms. The use of digital tools to monitor transport conditions was also mentioned.