2000/50/EC: Commission Decision of 17 December 1999 concerning minimum requirements for the inspection of holdings on which animals are kept for farming purposes (notified under document number C(1999) 4534) (Text with EEA relevance)
Date: 1999-12-17
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: agricultural holding, livestock farming, protection of animals, veterinary inspection

25. 1. 2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 19/51

COMMISSION DECISION

of 17 December 1999

concerning minimum requirements for the inspection of holdings on which animals are kept for
farming purposes

(notified under document number C(1999) 4534)

(Text with EEA relevance)

(2000/50/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Directive 98/58/EC of 20 July 1998
concerning the protection of animals kept
farming
for
purposes (1), and in particular Article 6(3) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

the Member States shall submit
to the Commission
reports on the inspections required in Article 6 of
Directive 98/58/EC;

the format, content and frequency of submission of the
inspection reports from the Member States must be
harmonised and it is important to collect information on
the quantity as well as the quality of the inspections in
order to evaluate if compliance with Council Directive
98/58/EC is ensured in the Member States;

those inspections are relevant

the results of
for the
Commission to submit specific reports to the Standing
Veterinary Committee based on Article 6(2) of Directive
98/58/EC;

the measures provided for in this Decision are in accord-
the Standing Veterinary
ance with the opinion of
Committee,

Article 1

1. Member States will submit to the Commission a report
including the results of the inspections carried out in the field
of the protection of animals kept for farming purposes.

2.
In the light of the provisions of Article 6(3) of Directive
98/58/EC, the report will have to comply with the information
specified in the Annex.

Article 2

The report will have to be presented to the Commission every
two years, by the last working day in April and for the first
time by 30 April 2002.

This Decision shall enter into force on 1 January 2000.

Article 3

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Article 4

Done at Brussels, 17 December 1999.

For the Commission

David BYRNE

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 221, 8.8.1998, p. 23.

L 19/52

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

25. 1. 2000

ANNEX

1. Species or category of animals

— Calves

— Pigs

— Laying hens

2. Table concerning the information requested for each species and category of animals based on the Annex of

Council Directive 98/58/EC

INFORMATION REQUESTED FOR EACH SPECIES AND CATEGORY OF ANIMALS

MEMBER STATE:

Species and category of animal:

(cid:1) Calves
(cid:1) Pigs
(cid:1) Laying Hens

Number of holdings:

Year:

Kind and number of infringements

Number of inspections/
average: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Number of legal
actions taken in
consequence

Requirement

Definition
(as Directive 98/58/EC)

Total
number

Advice

Other
sanctions

Staffing

Animal shall be cared by an appropriate number of staff who possesses the appropriate
knowledge.

Inspection

Animal shall be inspected at least once a day.

Adequate light shall be available to enable the animals to be thoroughly inspected at any
time.

Animal which appears to be ill or injured must be cared for appropriately without delay.

Where necessary sick or injured animals shall be isolated in suitable accomodation.

Record
keeping

The owner or keeper shall maintain a record of any medicinal treatment given and of the
number of mortalities found at each inspection. For a period of at least three years.

Freedom of
movement

The animal must not be restricted in such a way as to cause it unnecessary suffering or
injury.

Buildings

Materials and equipment with which the animals may come into contact must not be
harmful to the animals.

No sharp edges or protrusions.

Air circulation, dust levels, temperature, relative air humidity and gas concentration must be
kept in limits which are not harmful to the animals.

Animals kept in buildings must not be kept in permanent darkness or without an appropriate
period of rest.

Equipment

Where the health and well-being of the animals is dependent on an artificial ventilation
system, provision must be made for an appropriate backup system to guarantee sufficient air
renewal to preserve the health and well-being of the animals in the event of failure of the
system, and an alarm system must be provided to give warning of breakdown.

Feeding
and other
substances

No other substance, with the exception of those given for therapeutic, or prophylactic
purposes or for the purposes of zootechnical treatment as defined in Article 1(2)(c) of
Directive 96/22/EC (1) must be administered to an animal unless it has been demonstrated by
scientific studies of animal welfare or established experience that the effect of that substance
is not detrimental to the health or welfare of the animal.

Mutilations

Reference to national

legislation.

Breeding
procedures

Natural or artificial breeding or breeding procedures which cause or are likely to cause
suffering or injury to any of the animals concerned must not be practised.

This provision shall not preclude the use of certain procedures likely to cause minimal or
momentary suffering or injury, or which might necessitate interventions which would not
cause lasting injury, where these are allowed by national provisions.

(1) Council Directive 96/22/EC of 29 April 1996 concerning the prohibition on the use in stockfarming of certain substances having a hormonal or thyrostatic

action and of beta-agonists (OJ L 125, 23.5.1996, p. 3).