27.4.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC106/15
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilRegulation(EEC)ontheProtectionofAnimalsat
theTimeofSlaughterorKilling
(92/C106/08)
On5December1991,theCouncil,actinginaccordancewithArticle198oftheTreaty
establishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,askedtheEconomicandSocialCommittee
foranOpinionontheabovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforAgricultureandFisheries,whichwasresponsibleforpreparingtheCom­
mittee'swork,onthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon12March1992(Rapporteur :MrWick).
Atits295thPlenarySession,heldon25March1992,theEconomicandSocialCommittee
adoptedtheOpinionbyaunanimousvote.
1.TheCommitteewelcomestheproposal,subject
tothecommentssetoutbelow.
2.Generalcomments
2.1.TheCommitteereferstoitsearlierOpinionson
theissuesunderconsideration .Itreiterates,inparticu­
lar,thestandtakeninitsOpinionof16December1987,
therebysupportingtheCommission'sviewthattheEC
shouldaccedetotheCouncilofEurope'sConvention
fortheProtectionofAnimalsforSlaughter.
2.2.TheCommitteeispleasedtonotethat,insub­
mittingthedraftinstrument,theCommissionhas
respondedtoitscallforaRegulationonthisarea.
2.3.IntheCommittee'sviewitisessentialthatthe
proposedrulesbeadequatelymonitoredinorderto
ensurethatanimal-protection measuresarealsofully
observedinpractice.3.2.ChapterI,Article1(2)
TheCommitteecallsfortheproposedderogationsin
respectoftechnicalorscientifictrialstobeappliedas
restrictivelyaspossibleinordertoruleoutabuse.The
proposalalsocontainsaderogationinrespectofspecial
slaughtermethodsrequiredforparticularreligiousrites;
itshouldbemadeclearthatsuchmethodsmustbe
subjecttothegeneralanimal-protection provisionsin
respectofmovementandlairaging;onlyrestraintand
stunningproceduresmaybecarriedoutinaccordance
withthereligiousprinciplesofthecommunitiescon­
cerned.Stepsshouldalsobetakentoestablishwhether
agreementcanbereached,afterconsultationswiththe
religiouscommunitiesconcerned,ontheuseofuniform
methodsofritualslaughterfortherespectivereligious
communitiesthroughouttheEC.
3.3.ChapterI,Article2(1)
TheCommitteereferstotheexistenceofmobileslaugh­
teringfacilities,inadditiontoslaughterhouses occupy­
ingfixedpremises.Accountmustbetakenofthespecial
conditionsapplyingtosuchfacilities,particularlywith
regardtothelairagingofanimalsforslaughter.
3.4.ChapterI,Article2(2)
TheCommitteedrawsattentiontotheneedtoobserve
animal-protection provisionswhenanimalsforslaugh­
terarebeingloaded.Article2(2)shouldthereforebe
amendedtoreadasfollows:
'(2)movement :theloadingandunloadingofani­
malsordriving...'
3.5.ChapterI,Article3
TheCommitteeconsidersthat'unnotigenAufregun­
gen...'(unnecessaryexcitement)intheGermanversion
shouldbeamendedtoread'vermeidbareAufregun­
gen...'(avoidableexcitement).
3.6.Chapter11,Article43.Specificcomments
3.1.ChapterI,Article1(1)
ThefieldofapplicationoftheDraftRegulationis,in
theCommittee'sview,unclear.Provisionshouldbe
madeforderogationsinthecaseofhomeslaughtering
toprovidemeatforconsumption bytheproduceror
forex-farmretailsales.Furthermore ,thedefinitionof
'animals'doesnotcoveraquaticanimals.Inorderto
excludegameanimalsfromtheDraftRegulationthe
term'killingofanimals'shouldbeamendedtoread
'killingofdomesticatedanimals'.
AspointedoutwithregardtoChapterI,Article2(1)
above,theprovisionsshouldalsocovermobileslaugh­ (i)OJNoC314,5.12.1991,p.14.

27.4.92NoC106/16 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities
teringfacilitieswhichshouldbespecificallymentioned.
Theterm'unndtigenAufregungen'(unnecessaryexcite­
ment)shouldonceagainbereplacedby'vermeidbaren
Aufregungen'(avoidableexcitement)intheGerman
version.
3.7.Chapter11,Article7
Theprofessionalskillsofpersonscarryingoutstunning
shouldbeverifiedbyaveterinarian .Theterm'certified
bythecompetentauthority'istoovagueanditdoes
notensurethattheinterestsofanimal-protection are
safeguarded .
3.8.ChapterIII,Article9
WithoutprejudicetoArticle5(2),derogationsaretobe
confinedtotheslaughterofpoultrybyafarmerfor
consumptiononthefarm.Thisistoorestrictive.Rab­
bits,younggoats,lambsandpigsshouldalsobe
covered.
3.9.ChapterIII,Article11
Theheading'Article11'hasbeenomittedfromthe
Germanversion.
3.10.ChapterIII,Article12
TheCommitteenotesthatwhereinjuredordiseased
animalsarebeingtransportedforslaughter,itisabasic
factthatadditionalsufferingcannotbeexcluded.To
enforcearequirementinthisareawouldmeanbanning
thetransportofsuchanimals.Itwouldbesensibleand
justifiabletostipulatethatsuchadditionalsuffering
mustnotexceedlimitsdeemedacceptablebyaveterin­
arian.Animalswhosemeatwouldnotbefitforhuman
consumptionaretobekilledontheproducer'sprem­
ises.
3.11.ChapterIV,Article18(2)
Inthecaseofrepeatedcontraventions ,particularly
thoseresultinginconsiderablesufferingforanimals,it
isnotenoughtostipulatethatsanctionsmaybetaken;
itisessentialtoprovideformandatorysanctions,on
animalprotectiongrounds.
3.12.AnnexA1(3)
TheCommitteeopposesthestipulationthatanimals
havetobeseparatedfromeachotherongroundsof
'origin',duringdelivery,movementandlairaging.This
provisionisonlyfeasiblewhererelativelylargenumbers
ofanimalsofdifferentoriginareinvolved.Smaller
groupsofanimalsofdifferentoriginscannotbetrans­
portedseparatelyorseparatedinlairagepriorto
slaughter.3.13.AnnexAI(newpoint7)
TheCommitteerecommendsthatsuitablescreensbe
installedtopreventanimalsforslaughterfromhaving
adirectviewofalreadyslaughteredanimalsofthesame
species.
3.14.AnnexA11(2)
TheCommitteenotesthestipulationthatanimalsshall
notbeliftedbythehead,horns,ears,feet,tailorfleece.
TheCommitteepointstotheneedforaderogationin
respectofpoultry.Itwouldalsobemoreefficientfor
theCommissiontodrawupalistofpermittedmethods
formovingalonganimalsforslaughter.Suchalist
wouldbeextremelyusefulforthepracticalapplication
oftheprovisions .
3.15.AnnexA11(4)
TheCommitteenotesthatonlythestrikingofanimals
onparticularlysensitivepartsofthebodyistobe
prohibited.Thisimpliesthatforthepurposeofmoving
animalsforward,particularmethodssuchas'striking'
aregenerallyadmissible.Inthefinalsentenceof
paragraph4,however,theadministeringof'blows'is
expresslyprohibited,eventhoughinthefinalanalysis,
thisissynonymouswith'striking'.Inordertoclarify
theissue,thefinalsentenceshouldbeamendedtoread
asfollows:'Noblowsshallbeadministeredwithheavy
objectsoradministeredwithexcessiveseverityand
frequency,andkicksshallnotbeinflicted'.Inaddition
thestipulationthat'theireyesshallnotbegrasped'
shouldbeamendedtoread:'theireyesocketsshallnot
begrasped'.
3.16.AnnexB(l)
TheCommitteecallsforabanontheuseoftranquiliz­
erstorestrainanimals.
3.17.AnnexC4(A)
Theprescribedminimumconcentrationofcarbondiox­
ideof70%byvolumeisverylow;ahigherlevelof
certaintyinstunningwouldbeensuredbyincreasing
theconcentrationto75or80%byvolume.
3.18.AnnexCII4(D)
Theterm'Einzel-bzw .Doppelbuchten '(individualor
doublepens,asappropriate )intheGermanversionis
vague.Ifbothformsofconveyanceareregardedas
suitable,theterm'Einzel-oderDoppelbuchten '(individ­
ualordoublepens)shouldbeused.
3.19.AnnexD1
TheCommitteeproposesthatthisprovisionbe

OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC106/17 27.4.92
3.20.AnnexF amendedsoastostipulatethat,inthecaseofstunning
bycaptiveboltorfreebullet,pithingandbleedingshall
bestartedwithinoneminuteofstunning. TheuseofCO,shouldalsobeauthorized .
DoneatBrussels,25March1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDirectiveamendingDirective85/73/EEConthe
financingofhealthinspectionsandcontrolsoffreshmeatandpoultrymeat (M
(92/C106/09)
On14January1992,theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforAgricultureandFisheriesadoptedthispresentOpinionatitsmeetingon
12March1992.TheRapporteurwasMrWick.
Atits295thPlenarySession(meetingof25March1992)theCommitteeunanimouslyadopted
thefollowingOpinion.
2.3.Directive85/73/EEClaysdownprovisionsfor
thecollectionoffeesforinspectionsofanimalsfor
slaughterandtheirmeatandforhealthcontrolson
freshmeat.
2.4.Theaimofthepresentproposalistoextendthe
fee-chargingsystemtocontrolsofallproductstraded
betweentheMemberStates(Directive89/662/EEC)(3)
andtocontrolsofallanimalproductsenteringthe
Communityfromthirdcountries(Directive90/675/
EEC)(4).
2.5.TheCommitteewouldreferinthisconnection
toitsOpinionsonDirectives89/662/EECand90/675/
EECwelcomingtheintroductionofprinciplesgovern­
ingcontrolsofanimalproductsinthedomesticmarket
andenteringtheCommunityfromthirdcountries;these
Directivesdetailthenatureandscaleofthecontrols.1.TheCommitteeapprovestheCommissionpro­
posalsubjecttothefollowingcomments.
2.Generalcomments
2.1.TheCommitteewouldrecallitsOpinionof
26September1984ontheProposalforaCouncilDirec­
tiveonthefinancingofhealthinspectionsandcontrols
offreshmeat(2).InthisOpiniontheCommitteecon­
sideredthefee-chargingsystemtobebasicallyappropri­
ateforremovingthedistortionsofcompetionstemming
fromthecostsofthecontrolsandtheirfinancing.The
Committeealsowelcomedthemovetoharmonizethe
rulesinquestion.
2.2.TheCommitteenoteswithsatisfactionthatnew
technicalimplementingprovisionshaveinthemean­
timebeenadoptedandthatinspectionandcontrol
procedureshavebeenupdated.
(')OJNoC36,14.2.1992,p.9.
(2)OJNoC307,19.11.1984.(3)OJNoL395,13.12.1989,p.13.
(4)OJNoL373,31.12.1990.