G/TBT/N/DEU/16  
 
24 April 2019  
(19-2769) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  GERMANY   
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):  
2. Agency responsible:  Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture  
Unit 321  
Rochusstraße1, 53123 Bonn, Germany  
0049 (0)228 99529 – 4354 
0049 (0)228 99529 - 4262 
http://www.bmel.bund.de  
321@bmel.bund.de   
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Food 
products of animal origin  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Draft of an A ct 
on the Introduction and Use of an Animal Welfare Label (30 page(s), in English)  
6. Description of content:  It is intended to introduce a uniform animal welfare label which 
lays down binding criteria for products of animal origin extending beyond the al ready 
existing statutory requirements on a federal level. The use of the animal welfare label is 
voluntary, but it will be bound to the fulfilment of certain requirements for the keeping, 
transport and slaughter of animals from which food products are made . These 
requirements will be defined in detail by a statutory instrument to be enacted on the basis 
of this Act. Compliance with the requirements will be checked on a regular basis.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where  
applicable:  The Act on the Introduction and Use of an Animal Welfare Label is intended 
to create the legal basis for a transparent labelling of food products of animal origin in 
the production of which animal production standards were complied with which are clearly 
higher than the minimum requirements defined by law. The aim of the animal welfare 
label is to create living conditions for livestock animals which are more appropriate to the 
species, to provide desired and reliable orientation for consumers a nd to give livestock 
owners incentives to take greater action to ensure the animals’ welfare and ultimately 
improve their image, thus creating better opportunities for marketing.  
An animal welfare label offers producers the opportunity of transparently communicating 
animal welfare beyond the statutory minimum animal protection standard. This way, the 
existing demand can be served and the higher price required by the higher producti on G/TBT/N/DEU/16  
 
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  costs can be achieved. ; Consumer information, labelling; Protection of animal or plant life 
or health; Quality requirements  
8. Relevant documents:   
• Draft of an act on the Introduction and Use of an Animal Welfare Label  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  1 November 2019  
Proposed date of entry into force:  1 November 2019  
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture,  
Unit 321  
Rochusstraße1, 53123 Bonn, Germany  
0049 (0)228 99529 – 4354 
0049 (0)228 99529 - 4262 
http://www.bmel.bund.de  
321@bmel.bund.de   
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2019/TBT/DEU/19_2422_00_e.pdf