ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (74)294
Vol.1974/0054

Disclaimer
Conformément aurèglement (CEE, Euratom) n°354/83 duConseil du1erfévrier 1983
concernant l'ouverture aupublic desarchives historiques delaCommunauté économique
européenne etdelaCommunauté européenne del'énergie atomique (JOL43du15.2.1983,
p.1),telquemodifié par lerèglement (CE, Euratom) n°1700/2003 du22septembre 2003
(JOL243du27.9.2003, p.1),cedossier estouvert aupublic. Lecaséchéant, lesdocuments
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règlement.
Inaccordance with Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No354/83 of1February 1983
concerning theopening tothepublic ofthehistorical archives oftheEuropean Economic
Community andtheEuropean Atomic Energy Community (OJL43,15.2.1983, p.1),as
amended byRegulation (EC, Euratom) No1700/2003 of22September 2003 (OJL243,
27.9.2003, p.1),this fileisopen tothepublic. Where necessary, classified documents inthis
filehave been declassified inconformity with Article 5oftheaforementioned regulation.
InÜbereinstimmung mitderVerordnung (EWG, Euratom) Nr.354/83 desRates vom 1.
Februar 1983 über die Freigabe der historischen Archive der Europäischen
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft undderEuropäischen Atomgemeinschaft (ABI. L43vom 15.2.1983,
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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROIEANCOMMUMTÏES
COM(74)294final
Brussels.13March1974
ProposalforaCouncilDirective
onstunningofanimals "beforeslaughter
(submittedtotheCouncil "bytheCommission)
COM(74)294final

EXPLANATORY HOTE
FollowingtheadhesionofthenewMemberStatestotheCommunity,ithas
becomeapparentthatspecialimportanceisattachedtoproblemsconcerning
theprotectionofanimalsparticularly inrelationtostunningofanimals
beforeslaughter.Nationallegislationinforceconcerningtheprotection
ofanimalspresentsdifferences ofanatureastodirectlyaffectthefunctio­
ningoftheCommonmarket,andthecostsarisingfromsuchrequirements
varyindifferentMemberStates.
WhilsttheCommunityshouldtakeactiontoavoidallformsofcrueltyto
animals,itappear3suitableasafirntsteptodirectsuchactiontothe
preventionofcrueltytoanimalswheatheyarebeingslaughtered bythe
generalization ofthepracticeofrenderingallanimalsunconscious byappro­
priaterecognizedtechniquesbeforetheyareputtodeath.
Atthesametimethenecessityfornationalauthoritiestograntspecial
derogations,particularly inrelationtocertainreligiousritesistobe
recognized.

-ProposalforaCouncilDirective "
onstunningofanimals "beforeslaughter
THECOUNCILOFTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishing theEuropeanEconomicCommunity,
andinparticularArticle43thereof,
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission,
HavingregardtotheppinionloftheEuropeanParliament,
HavingregardtotheopinionoftheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
Whereasthenationallegislationactuallyinforceinthefieldofprotection
ofanimalspresentsdisparities ofsuchanatureastodirectiyeffectthe,
functioningoftheCommonmarket;whereastheeffectofthecostsarising
fromtheserequirements arevariablefromoneMemberStatetoanother;
IrlhereastheCommunityshouldalsotakeactiontoavoidingeneralallforms
ofcrueltytoanimalsjwhereasitappearssuitable,asafirststep,that
thisactionshouldconsistoflayingdownconditionssuchastoavoidall
sufferingonthepartofanimalswhenbeingslaughtered ;
Whereasinthisrespectthepracticeofstunninganimalsbyappropriatere­
cognizedtechniquesshouldbegeneralized ;
Whereas,however,itisnecessarytotakeaccountoftheparticularrequire­
mentsofcertainreligiousrites,
HASADOPTEDTHISDIRECTIVE :

Article1
1.Memberstatesshallensurethat.stunningprecedestheslaughterofall
animalsofthefollowingspecies:bovineanimals,swine,sheep,goatsand
solipeds,
2.ForthepurposesofthisDirective,stunning,meansaprocesseffected
byamechanically operatedinstrument,electricityorcarbondioxide
whichwhenappliedtoananimal,plungesitintoastateofunconsciousness
whichlastsuntiltheanimalisslaughtered.
Article2
1.Thecompetentnationalauthority -shallensurethatstunningisperfor­
medbymeansofequipmentapprovedfortherelevantspecies,thatthe
equipmentisingoodworkingorderandthatitisusedcorrectly.
2aThecompetentnationalauthority .shallensurethatstunningispracticed
byaslaughterman recognizedashavingthenecessaryabilityandknowledge,
3.Duringtheoperationofstunningeachanimalshallberestrainedbytech­
niquesrecognizedasappropriate.
.Article3
Incaseofurgency,thecompetentnationalauthoritymaygrantderogations
fromtheprovisionsofthisDirective ;itshall,however,ensurethatani­
malsareneversubjectedtocrueltreatment.
Article4
\ ...
ThepresentDirectivedoesnotaffectnationalprovisionsrelatedtospecial
methodsofslaughterwhicharerequiredforparticularreligiousrites.

-3-
Article5
TheMemberStatesshallnotlaterthan31stDecember1974tbringintoforce
thelaws,regulations and.administrative provisionsnecessarytocomplywith
thisDirective.
Article6
ThisDirectiveisaddressedtotheMemberStates.
DoneatBrussels. FortheCouncil
ThePrésident