Proposal for a Council Regulation on the protection of animals at the time of killing {SEC(2008) 2424} {SEC(2008) 2425}
Date: 2008-09-18
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: protection of animals, slaughter of animals, transport of animals, vocational training

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 18.9.2008 
COM(2008) 553 final 

2008/0180 (CNS) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION 

on the protection of animals at the time of killing 

(presented by the Commission) 

{SEC(2008) 2424} 
{SEC(2008) 2425} 

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CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL 

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

Grounds for and objectives of the proposal 
The technical requirements of Directive 93/119/EC1 on the protection of animals at 
the  time  of  slaughter  or  killing  have  never  been  amended  although  the  context  has 
changed.  

New  technologies  have  been  introduced  making  some  standards  obsolete.  In  2004 
and 2006 two scientific opinions from the European Food Safety Authority suggested 
revising the Directive. In parallel the World Organisation for Animal Health adopted 
in 2005 two guidelines on the welfare of animals at slaughter and killing leading to 
similar conclusions. 

Animal  welfare  concerns  have  grown  in  our  society.  The  legal  environment  has 
changed for slaughterhouses with the adoption of a series of EU legislative acts on 
food safety which emphasises the responsibilities of business operators. Mass killing 
during animal epidemics has raised questions about the methods used to carry them 
out.  In  2006  the  Commission  adopted  the  first  Community  Action  Plan  on  the 
Protection  and  Welfare  of  Animals,  introducing  new  concepts  such  as  the  welfare 
indicators and centres of reference on animal welfare. 

Specific  problems  have  been  identified  with  the  EU  legislation  such  as  the  lack  of 
harmonised methodology for new stunning methods, the lack of clear responsibilities 
for operators, the insufficient competence of personnel or insufficient conditions for 
the welfare of animals during killing for disease control purposes. 

In light of this the proposal provides substantial added value compared to the status 
quo. 

In  particular  by  changing  the  legal  instrument  from  a  directive  to  a  regulation,  the 
proposal provides for uniform and simultaneous application, avoiding the burden and 
inequalities due to national transpositions. The form  of  a regulation is also  suitable 
for faster implementation of changes due to technical and scientific progress. It also 
provides for a single set of rules making them more visible and easier to apply both 
for EU operators and trading partners. 

The  proposal  also  contains  greater  flexibility  for  operators  through  the  adoption  of 
guidelines  on  detailed  technical  matters.  At  the  same  time  it  requires  operators  to 
take real ownership of animal welfare (self-checks on stunning procedure, standard 
operating  procedures),  and  therefore  contributes  to  a  better  enforcement  of  animal 
welfare at slaughter. 

The  proposal  also  aims  to  develop  learning  mechanisms  based  on  sound  science 
(certificate  of  competence,  centre  of  reference),  to  make  animal  welfare  better 
understood  and  integrated  in  the  daily  tasks  of  animals  handlers,  slaughtermen  and 
official inspectors. 

The main objectives of the proposal are aimed at: 

(1) 

Improving the protection of animals at the time of slaughter or killing. 

(2)  Encouraging innovation in relation to stunning and killing techniques. 

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OJ L 340, 31.12.1993, p. 21. 

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(3)  Providing  a  level  playing  field  within  the  internal  market  for  the  operators 

concerned. 

In addition, this proposal will aim to achieve the following specific objectives: 

(1)  Develop  a  common  methodological  approach  to  encourage  new  stunning 

methods. 

(2)  Ensure  better  integration  of  animal  welfare  concerns  into  the  production 
process  through  the  requirement  of  Standard  Operating  Procedures  and  the 
appointment of Animal Welfare Officers in slaughterhouses. 

(3)  Upgrade the standards governing slaughterhouse construction and equipment. 

(4) 

(5) 

Increase the level of competence of the operators and officials concerned. 

Improve the protection of animals during mass killing operations. 

General context 

This  proposal  will  replace  Directive  93/119/EC  on  the  protection  of  animals  at  the 
time of slaughter or killing, which covers the killing of farmed animals. 

Every year nearly 360 million pigs, sheep, goats and cattle as well as more than four 
billion  poultry  are  killed  in  EU  slaughterhouses.  In  addition,  the  European  fur 
industry  kills  25  million  animals,  while  hatcheries  kill  330  million  day-old-chicks. 
The  control  of  contagious  diseases  may  also  require  the  killing  of  millions  of 
animals. 

The  present  situation  is  not  satisfactory  in  relation  to  the  objectives  pursued.  The 
level  of  animal  protection  is  unequally  enforced  in  the  Member  States,  with 
sometimes very unsatisfactory results. Discrepancies in requirements in the Member 
States for slaughterhouses and manufacturers of stunning equipment do not ensure a 
level playing field for them, although they compete on a global market. This situation 
does not encourage innovation either. 

Existing provisions in the area of the proposal 

Directive  93/119/EC  will  be  repealed  but  the  scope  of  the  proposal  will  remain 
unchanged.  

Consistency with the other policies and objectives of the Union 

Not applicable. 

CONSULTATION OF INTERESTED PARTIES AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT 

Consultation of interested parties 

Consultation methods, main sectors targeted and general profile of respondents 

In  2006  the  Commission  ordered  an  external  study  on  the  stunning  practices  in 
slaughterhouses and their economic, social and environmental consequences. In the 
course  of  the  study,  major  stakeholders  such  as  meat  industry  associations, 
competent authorities and animal welfare organisations were consulted. 

The  Commission  also  had  direct  contacts  with  the  stakeholders  and  with  scientific, 
technical  and 
the  proposal. 
legal  experts  concerning  different  aspects  of 
Consultations  started  from  July  2006.  The  initiative  was  publicised  through 
presentations at industry forums and within relevant advisory committees or groups 
of the Commission during the period 2006–2007. 

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Specific webpages were created and regularly updated to inform the public about the 
initiative.  From  December  2007  to  February  2008  a  mailbox  was  opened  and 
stakeholders  invited  to  provide  their  views.  The  initiative  was  presented  to  the 
Member States via a working group in January 2008. 

Summary of responses and how they have been taken into account 

Stakeholders  and  Member  States  agreed  on  the  principle  that  operators  should  be 
made more responsible for animal welfare. Stakeholders welcomed the proposal for a 
Regulation rather than a Directive, while Member States were divided. 

There was large support for introducing requirements governing Standard Operating 
Procedures (SOPs), and the idea of an Animal Welfare Officer (AWO) was also well 
received.  However,  animal  welfare  organisations and some Member States stressed 
the  need  for  keeping  prescriptive  requirements.  Other  participants  expressed 
concerns about the requirements regarding SOPs and an Animal Welfare Officer for 
small slaughterhouses. 

In light of the studies and consultations carried out, the Commission concluded that 
while most large scale slaughterhouses in the EU already employ a person in charge 
of  meat  quality  control  (who  can  combine  the  roles  of  supervising  SOPs  and  of 
AWO at limited extra cost), this is not the case today for small slaughterhouses. As a 
consequence, a derogation to the AWO requirement for very small slaughterhouses 
has  been  foreseen,  due  to  the  lack  of  proportionality  of  the  measure  in  comparison 
with  the  small  number  of  animals  slaughtered,  and  to  avoid  possible  distortions  of 
competition. 

All parties consulted accepted that stunning methods should be better defined. 

They  also  agreed  on  the  need  for  a  better  knowledge  policy  since  both  official 
inspectors  and  operators  sometimes  lacked  technical  assistance.  They  all  supported 
the idea of a certificate of competence. The principle of a national centre of reference 
received more mixed support. The Member States were worried about establishing a 
new administrative structure and the possible budgetary implications. 

Better  preparedness  and  reporting  on  animal  welfare  in  case  of  killing  for  disease-
control  purposes  received  a  positive  response  from  the  Member  States.  Some 
Member States would prefer to strictly adhere to international guidelines while others 
would advocate a certain amount of flexibility. 

The above comments were taken into account as follows: 

(a)  Concerns  about  the  lack  of  prescriptive  requirements  were  addressed  through 
the  requirement  for  there  to  be  a  national  centre  of  reference.  In  addition  the 
proposal  contains  the  obligation  for  manufacturers  of  stunning  equipment  to 
provide  guidance  on  use  of  their  equipment.  Member  States  should  also 
develop codes of good practices. 

(b)  Concerns  regarding  the  costs  related  to  the  implementation  of  new  standards 
governing  infrastructures  of  slaughterhouses  were  addressed  through  the 
establishment of a transitional period for this requirement. 

(c)  Concerns  concerning  administrative  costs  related  to  the  establishment  of 
national  centres  of  reference  were  addressed  by  amending  the  requirements 
through a more flexible structure. 

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(d) 

(e) 

In  reply  to  the  concerns  regarding  the  administrative  burden  related  to  the 
AWO,  the  proposal  envisages  the  possibility  of  a  derogation  for  small 
slaughterhouses. 

In  reply  to  the  concerns  about  the  lack  of  flexibility  in  a  disease-control 
situation,  the  proposal  provides  for  derogation  when  the  killing  involves 
serious human or animal health risks. 

An  open  consultation  was  conducted  over  the  Internet  from  20.12.2007  to 
20.02.2008.  The  Commission  received  10  responses.  The  results  are  available  on 
http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/welfare/slaughter/slaughter_stakeholders_en.htm. 

Collection and use of expertise 

Scientific/expertise domains concerned 

Animal welfare, food safety, animal health. 

Methodology used 

A  number  of  references  were  consulted  and  in  particular  the  opinions  of  the 
European Food Safety Authority from 2004 and 2006, international guidelines (OIE 
guidelines  on  slaughter  and  killing),  national  legislations  within  and  outside  the 
Community  (USA,  UK,  France,  New  Zealand,  etc.).  All  the  relevant  Food  and 
Veterinary  Office  reports  were  also  taken  into  account  as  was  the  external  study 
conducted for the purpose of the Impact Assessment. 

Several  experts  were  consulted  (scientists,  consultants  or  governmental  experts)  as 
well as stakeholders: slaughterhouses (red meat and poultry), farmers’ organisation, 
veterinarians,  religious  groups,  animal  protection  organisations,  manufacturers  of 
stunning equipment. 

Main organisations/experts consulted 

Anglia-Autoflow — equipment manufacturer 

Animals’ Angels — animal welfare organisation 

AVEC — poultry meat industry 

AEH — Association of European Hatcheries 

Butina — equipment manufacturer 

CIWF — animal welfare organisation 

COPA-COGECA — farmers 

EUROGROUP FOR ANIMALS — animal welfare organisation 

EPEXA  —  Association  of  European  Hatching  Egg,  One-Day-Olds  and  Pullet 
Exporters 

European Fur Breeders’ Association 

Federation of Veterinarians of Europe 

Finnish Fur Breeders’ Association 

AFSSA — French Agency for Food Safety 

FNICGV — red meat industry 

Humane Slaughter Association — animal welfare organisation 

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IBC — International Butchers’ Confederation 

OABA — animal welfare organisation 

PVE (Product Boards for Livestock, Meat and Eggs) — meat industry 

Stork Food Systems — equipment manufacturer 

UECBV — red meat industry 

Summary of advice received and used 

The  existence  of  potentially  serious  risks  with  irreversible  consequences  was  not 
mentioned.  In  their  2004  opinion  the  EFSA  scientists  put  forward  over  twenty 
technical recommendations. The following EFSA recommendations were integrated 
into the proposal: 

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– 

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– 

– 

– 

proper training for operators stunning animals; 

constant-current equipment for electrical stunning 

recording system for electrical parameters; 

recording system for gas parameters; 

limiting the use of non-penetrative captive bolt to young lambs; 

several technical improvements on the shackle line for poultry; 

severing both carotid arteries for bleeding; 

requesting gas killing for poultry (non-reversible stun). 

Some  recommendations  were  not  included  in  the  proposal  because  the  impact 
assessment  revealed  that  they  were  not  economically  viable  at  present  in  the  EU. 
This was the case in particular for the following recommendations: 

– 

– 

phasing out the use of carbon dioxide for pigs and poultry; 

phasing out the use of waterbath stunners for poultry. 

Other recommendations are not in the proposal because they refer to parameters that 
should be part of implementing measures. 

Recommendations  on  farm  fish  were  not  included  in  the  proposal  either  because 
there was a need for further scientific opinion and economic evaluation in this field. 

Means used to make the expert advice publicly available 

EFSA opinions and OIE guidelines are publicly available on the Internet: 

http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EFSA/efsa_locale-1178620753812_home.htm 

http://www.oie.int/eng/normes/mcode/en_titre_3.7.htm. 

Impact assessment 

The  main  policy  options  envisaged  ranged  from  the  status  quo,  deregulation, 
technical amendments to the Directive or reorganisation of the legislation. 

Slaughtering  costs  constitute  a  limited  portion  of  the  total  costs  of  slaughterhouse 
activities (20%) but could affect their competitiveness. Slaughterhouses are subjected 
to  permanent  official  inspection  through  food  safety  legislation.  The  proposal  does 
not introduce additional requirements for official inspections. Animal welfare has a 

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positive  impact  on  meat  quality  and  occupational  safety.  It  also  represents  positive 
market values. No significant environmental impacts have been identified. 

From  comparison  of the main policy options envisaged it appears that reorganising 
the legislation would appear to be the most advantageous choice. 

More  specifically,  the  impact  assessment  investigates  the  following  aspects  of  the 
reorganisation of legislation.  

As regards authorisation of new stunning methods, a centralised system would be a 
valid  alternative,  while  a  partially  decentralised  system  would  have  some  benefits 
especially in terms of flexibility and costs. 

Better  integration  of  animal  welfare  into  the  process  of  production  brings  clear 
positive outcomes for the welfare of animals, occupational safety and meat quality. 
This could be done through requiring Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and/or 
the appointment of an Animal Welfare Officer. Economic costs are limited for both 
options,  and  slaughterhouses  which  have  already  implemented  such  measures 
appreciate the economic benefits. 

The impact assessment also indicates that there is a need for updating the standards 
of  slaughterhouse  infrastructures.  It  will  bring  social  benefits,  and  investment  costs 
can be reduced if a reasonable transitional period is considered. 

Better  competence  of  personnel  killing  animals  as  well  as  setting  up  a  specific 
national  structure  for  providing  technical  back-up  on  animal  welfare  for  officials 
appear to be two complementary approaches. Knowledge policy is highly efficient in 
terms of animal welfare, flexible for the industry and socially positive for personnel. 

Finally, on the issue of mass killing of animals it also indicates that a flexible option 
is more likely to deliver results than a traditional prescriptive approach.  

LEGAL ELEMENTS OF THE PROPOSAL 

Summary of the proposed action 

The proposal will increase operators' responsibility for animal welfare. This is in line 
with the “hygiene package”, a raft of food safety legislation adopted in 2004 obliging 
operators to integrate food safety into their operations and to demonstrate that they 
are implementing procedures for that purpose. This approach is also consistent with 
the  Community  Action  Plan  on  the  Protection  and  Welfare  of  Animals  that 
introduced the concept of animal welfare indicators measured on animals. 

The  proposal  will  make  it  compulsory  for  personnel  handling  and/or  slaughtering 
animals  to  possess  a  certificate  of  competence.  The  requirement  will  apply  to 
slaughterhouses and to killing in the context of fur farming. 

The  proposal  will  require  each  Member  State  to  establish  a  national  centre  of 
reference  that  will  provide  technical  assistance  to  officials  on  animal  welfare  at 
killing.  The  centre  will  provide  scientific  assessment 
for  new  stunning 
methods/equipment  and  newly  built  slaughterhouses,  and  will  accredit  bodies 
delivering certificates of competence concerning animal welfare. 

The proposal will provide precise definitions for stunning methods. It will also set up 
a common system for authorising new methods of stunning. 

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The proposal will ensure that animal welfare is considered at all stages of the killing 
process  for  disease-control  purposes.  This  will  imply  better  preparedness  but  also 
specific animal welfare supervision and reporting to the public. 

In  line  with  the  hygiene  regulation  the  proposal  allows  slaughter  for  private 
consumption (e.g. on farms and in backyards) provided that the general requirements 
of this regulation are met and in particular prior stunning. 

Legal basis 

Article 37 of the Treaty of the European Community. 

Subsidiarity principle 

The  subsidiarity  principle  applies  insofar  as  the  proposal  does  not  fall  under  the 
exclusive competence of the Community. 

The objectives of the proposal cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States 
for the following reason. 

Meat,  fur  and  other  products  related  to  the  killing  of  farmed  animals  are  traded 
internationally.  Stunning  and  restraining  equipment  is  also  commercialised  beyond 
national borders. Discrepancies in welfare standards governing the killing of animals 
between  the  Member  States  affect  the  competitiveness  of  slaughterhouses,  farmers, 
hatcheries and manufacturers of stunning equipment. 

Community action will better achieve the objectives of the proposal for the following 
reason. 

Products derived from those activities are freely traded within the EU. Therefore, the 
EU action is likely to have a more coherent effect and better achieve the objectives 
proposed. 

It  is  difficult  to  find  indicators  that  would  reflect  the  situation  as  regards  the 
objectives  of  the  proposal  in  a  non-ambiguous  way.  The  level  of  use  of  some 
irreversible  methods  of  stunning  would  appear  to  reflect  a  certain  level  of 
improvement  in  animal  welfare  for  poultry  or  pigs.  However,  the  use  of  stunning 
methods is also influenced by economical factors.  

The scope of the proposal is limited to the killing of farmed animals. Those activities 
are largely harmonised through other Community legislations. 

The  killing  of  companion  animals,  or  performed  as  part  of  hunting  or  sporting 
activities, is not part of the proposal and remains under national competence. 

The proposal also allows for national measures so as to reflect the provisions of the 
Protocol  on  Protection  and  Welfare  of  Animals  which  refers  to  the  need  to  respect 
national provisions relating to religious rites, cultural traditions and regional heritage.  

The proposal therefore complies with the subsidiarity principle. 

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Proportionality principle 

The proposal complies with the proportionality principle for the following reason(s). 

A Regulation offers the following advantages: 

– 

– 

– 

it  provides  a  uniform  and  simultaneous  application  in  all  the  Member  States 
and  avoids  the  burden,  both  for  the  Member  States  and  the  Commission,  of 
transposition; 

the  updating  of  a  Regulation  can  be  more  rapidly  implemented;  this  is 
welcomed in this area which is subject to technical and scientific progress. 

it provides a single set of rules making them more visible and easier to apply 
for operators and the EU's main trading partners. 

The  proposal  has  no  financial  implications  for  the  Community.  The  impact 
assessment indicated that the financial implications will mainly affect operators who 
have poorly implemented the current EU rules. In addition, transitional periods have 
been laid down for measures related to the infrastructures of slaughterhouses as well 
as for taking into account employees already working in slaughterhouses. Derogation 
is  also  considered  for  small  slaughterhouses  as  regards  the  requirement  for  an 
Animal Welfare Officer. 

The economic study also indicated that among the slaughterhouse operators that have 
implemented the measures mentioned in the proposal, the majority of them consider 
the  costs  to  be  relatively  acceptable  and  the  changes  globally  beneficial  to  their 
economic activity. 

Choice of instruments 

Proposed instruments: Regulation. 

Other means would not be adequate for the following reason(s). 

Non-binding instruments were unanimously rejected by all consulted parties as a sole 
means  to  reach  the  objectives.  Killing  animals  is  an  activity  where  all  stakeholders 
consider  that  a  minimum  level  playing  field  should  be  established  for  all  operators 
and which needs to be checked by governments. 

The current EU legislation is a Directive and did not bring about a sufficient level of 
harmonisation. 

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION 

The proposal has no implication for the Community budget. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

Simulation, pilot phase and transitory period 

There was or there will be a transitory period for the proposal. 

Simplification 

The proposal provides for simplification of legislation. 

The  proposal  repealing  the  current  Directive  will  make  national  transpositions 
obsolete. In addition, the better integration into food safety legislation will facilitate 
implementation. 

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Repeal of existing legislation 

The adoption of the proposal will lead to the repeal of existing legislation. 

European Economic Area 

The  proposed  act  concerns  an  EEA  matter  and  should  therefore  extend  to  the 
European Economic Area. 

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2008/0180 (CNS) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION 

on the protection of animals at the time of killing 

(Text with EEA relevance) 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the  European  Community,  and  in  particular 
Article 37 thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission2, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament3, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee4, 
Following consultation of the Committee of the Regions5, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

Council Directive 93/119/EC of 22 December 1993 on the protection of animals at the 
time of slaughter or killing6 establishes common minimum rules for the protection of 
animals at the time of slaughter or killing in the Community. That Directive  has  not 
been substantially amended since its adoption. 

Killing  animals  may  induce  pain,  distress,  fear  or  other  forms  of  suffering  to  the 
animals even under the best available technical conditions. Certain operations related 
to the killing may be stressful and any stunning technique presents certain drawbacks. 
Operators should take the necessary measures to avoid pain and minimise the distress 
and suffering of animals during the slaughtering or killing process, taking into account 
the  best  practices  in  the  field  and  the  methods  permitted  under  this  Regulation. 
Therefore,  pain,  distress  or  suffering  should  be  considered  as  avoidable  when 
operators breach one of the requirements of this Regulation or use permitted practices 
without  reflecting  the  state  of  the  art,  thereby  inducing  by  negligence  or  intention, 
pain, distress or suffering to the animals. 

(3) 

The  protection  of  animals  at  the  time  of  slaughter  or  killing,  has  been  covered  by 
Community  legislation  since  1974,  and  was  substantively  reinforced  by  Directive 
93/119/EC.  However,  large  discrepancies  have  been  observed  between  the  Member 
States  in  implementing  that  Directive  and  major  welfare  concerns  and  differences 
susceptible to affect competitiveness between operators have been pointed out. 

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6 

OJ C xxx, xx.xx.xxxx, p. xx. 
OJ C xxx, xx.xx.xxxx, p. xx. 
OJ C xxx, xx.xx.xxxx, p. xx. 
OJ C xxx, xx.xx.xxxx, p. xx. 
OJ  L  340,  31.12.1993,  p.  21.  Directive  as  last  amended  by  Regulation  (EC)  No  1/2005  (OJ  L  3, 
5.1.2005, p. 1). 

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(4) 

(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

(8) 

Animal welfare is a Community value that is enshrined in the Protocol on Protection 
and Welfare of Animals annexed to the Treaty establishing the European Community7. 
The  protection  of  animals  at  the  time  of  slaughter  or  killing  is  a  matter  of  public 
concern  that  affects  consumer  attitudes  towards  agricultural  products.  In  addition, 
improving the protection of animals at the time of slaughter contributes to higher meat 
quality and indirectly has a positive impact on occupational safety in slaughterhouses. 

National  law  concerning  the  protection  of  animals  at  the  time  of  slaughter  or  killing 
has an impact on competition and accordingly on the operation of the internal market 
in  agricultural  products.  It  is  necessary  to  establish  common  rules  in  order  to  ensure 
the rational development of the internal market in those products. 

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has adopted two opinions on the welfare 
aspects  of  the  main  systems  of  stunning  and  killing  of  certain  species  of  animals, 
namely on the Welfare aspects of the main systems of stunning and killing the main 
commercial  species  of  animals8,  in  2004  and  on  the  welfare  aspects  of  the  main 
systems  of  stunning  and  killing  applied  to  commercially  farmed  deer,  goats,  rabbits, 
ostriches, ducks, geese and quail9, in 2006. Community legislation in this area should 
be updated to take into account those scientific opinions. Recommendations to phase 
out the use of carbon dioxide for pigs and poultry, as well as to phase out the use of 
waterbath  stunners  for  poultry  were  not  included  in  the  proposal  because  the  impact 
assessment  revealed  that  they  were  not  economically  viable  at  present  in  the  EU. 
Furthermore  other  recommendations  should  not  be  part  of  this  Regulation  because 
they  refer  to  technical  parameters  that  should  be  part  of  implementing  measures  or 
codes  of  good  practices.  Recommendations  on  farm  fish  were  not  included  in  the 
proposal  because  there  was  a  need  for  further  scientific  opinion  and  economic 
evaluation in this field. 

In  2007,  the  World  Organisation  for  Animal  Health  (OIE)  adopted  the  Terrestrial 
Animal Health Code which includes guidelines for the slaughter of animals and for the 
killing of animals for disease control purposes. Those international guidelines contain 
recommendations  concerning  the  handling,  restraining,  stunning  and  bleeding  of 
animals  in  slaughterhouses  and  the  killing  of  animals  in  cases  of  outbreak  of 
contagious diseases. Those international standards should also be taken into account in 
this Regulation. 

Since  the  adoption  of  Directive  93/119/EC,  Community  food  safety  legislation 
applicable  to  slaughterhouses  has  been  profoundly  amended  by  the  adoption  of 
Regulation  (EC)  No  852/2004  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of 
29 April  2004  on  hygiene  of  foodstuffs10  and  Regulation  (EC)  No  853/2004  of  the 
European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  29  April  2004  laying  down  specific 
hygiene  rules  for  food  of  animal  origin11.  Those  Regulations  emphasise  the 
responsibility  of  food  business  operators  to  ensure  food  safety.  Slaughterhouses  are 
also  subject  to  a  pre-approval  procedure  whereby  the  construction,  layout  and 
equipment are examined by the competent authority to ensure that they comply with 
the corresponding technical rules on food safety. Animal welfare concerns should be 

7 
8 
9 
10 
11 

OJ C 340, 10.11.1997, p. 110. 
The EFSA Journal (2004) 45, p. 1. 
The EFSA Journal (2006) 326, p. 1. 
OJ L 139, 30.4.2004, p. 1; corrected version (OJ L 226, 25.6.2004, p. 3). 
OJ L 139, 30.4.2004, p. 55; corrected version (OJ L 226, 25.6.2004, p. 22). Regulation as last amended 
by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1243/2007 (OJ L 281, 25.10.2007, p. 8). 

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12 

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better  integrated  into  slaughterhouse  and  into  their  construction  and  layout  and  the 
equipment used therein. 

(9) 

Official  controls  in  the  food  chain  have  also  been  reorganised  by  the  adoption  of 
Regulation  (EC)  No  882/2004  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of 
29 April 2004 on official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance 
with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules12 and Regulation (EC) 
No 854/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 laying 
down  specific  rules  for  the  organisation  of  official  controls  on  products  of  animal 
origin intended for human consumption13. 

(10)  Conditions under which animals kept for farming purposes are killed have a direct or 
an  indirect  impact  on  the  market  for  food,  feed  or  other  products  and  on  the 
competitiveness  of  the  operators  concerned.  Therefore,  such  killing  operations  are 
covered by the Community legislation. However, traditionally farmed species such as 
horses, donkeys, cattle, sheep, goats or pigs can also be kept for other reasons, such as, 
for  example,  pet  animals,  animals  for  shows,  work  purposes,  or  sports.  Where  the 
killing  of  animals  of  such  species  produces  food  or  other  products,  those  operations 
should  fall  within  the  scope  of  this  Regulation.  Consequently,  the  killing  of  wild  or 
stray animals for population control purposes should not fall within the scope of this 
Regulation. 

(11)  Fish present substantial physiological differences from terrestrial animals and farmed 
fish are slaughtered and killed in a very different context, in particular as regards the 
inspection process. Furthermore, research on the stunning of fish is far less developed 
than  for  other  farmed  species.  Separate  standards  should  be  established  on  the 
protection of fish at killing. Therefore, provisions applicable to fish should at present 
be  limited  to  the  key  principle.  Further  initiatives  should  consider  legislative  or  non 
legislative options  and may  be  taken  by  the  Community  based  on  a  scientific  risk 
assessment  for  the  slaughter  and  killing  of  fish  performed  by  the  European  Food 
Safety  Authority  and taking  into  account  the  social,  economic  and  administrative 
implications. 

(12) 

It  is  an  ethical  duty  to  kill  productive  animals  in  severe  pain,  where  there  is  no 
economically viable way to alleviate such pain. In  most  cases, animals can be killed 
respecting proper welfare conditions. However, under exceptional circumstances, such 
as  accidents  in  remote  locations,  where  competent  personnel  and  equipment  cannot 
reach the animals, complying with optimal welfare rules could prolong their suffering. 
In the interest of the animals it is, therefore, appropriate to exclude emergency killing 
from certain provisions of this Regulation. 

(13)  Occasionally animals can be dangerous for human beings, possibly putting human life 
at  risk,  inflicting  serious  injuries  or  transmitting  deadly  diseases.  Preventing  those 
risks is usually performed through the proper restraining of animals but it may also be 
necessary to kill dangerous animals to end such risks in certain circumstances. Under 
those  circumstances,  the  killing  can  not  always  be  performed  under  the  best  welfare 
conditions  due  to  the  emergency.  Therefore  it  is  necessary  to  derogate  from  the 
obligation to stun or immediately kill the animals in those cases. 

12 

13 

OJ L 191, 28.5.2004, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 737/2008 
(OJ L 201, 30.7.2008, p. 29). 
OJ L 226, 25.6.2004, p. 83. Regulation as last amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 1791/2006 (OJ 
L 363, 20.12.2006, p. 1). 

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(14)  Hunting activities take place in a context where conditions of killing are very different 
from the ones used for farmed animals and hunting is subject to specific legislations. It 
is therefore appropriate to exclude killings taking place during hunting from the scope 
of this Regulation.  

(15)  The Protocol on protection and welfare of animals also underlines the need to respect 
the legislative or administrative provisions and customs of the Member States relating, 
in  particular,  to  religious  rites,  cultural  traditions  and  regional  heritage  when 
formulating and implementing the Community’s policies on inter alia agriculture and 
the  internal  market.  It  is  therefore  appropriate  to  exclude  from  the  scope  of  this 
Regulation cultural events, where compliance with animal welfare requirements would 
adversely affect the very nature of the event concerned. 

(16) 

In addition, cultural traditions refer to an inherited, established, or customary pattern 
of  thought,  action  or  behaviour  which  includes  in  fact  the  concept  of  something 
transmitted by or acquired from a predecessor. They contribute to foster long-standing 
social  links  between  generations.  Provided  that  those  activities  do  not  affect  the 
market  of  animal  products  and  are  not  motivated  by  production  purposes,  it  is 
appropriate  to  exclude  killings  of  animals  taking  place  during  those  events  from  the 
scope of this Regulation. 

(17)  The slaughter of poultry and lagomorphs for private consumption is not performed on 
a scale likely to affect the competitiveness of commercial slaughterhouses. Similarly, 
the  necessary  efforts  required  from  public  authorities  to  detect  and  control  such 
operations  would  not  be  proportionate  to  the  potential  problems  to  be  solved.  It  is, 
therefore, appropriate to exclude those operations from the scope of this Regulation. 

(18)  Derogation  from  stunning 

taking  place 

in  case  of  religious  slaughter 

in 
slaughterhouses  was  granted  by  Directive  93/119/EC.  Since  Community  provisions 
applicable  to  religious  slaughter  have  been  transposed  differently  depending  on 
national contexts and considering that national rules take into account dimensions that 
go beyond the purpose of this Regulation, it is important that derogation from stunning 
animals  prior  slaughter  should  be  maintained,  leaving,  however,  a  certain  level  of 
subsidiarity to each Member State. As a consequence the present Regulation respects 
the  freedom  of  religion  and  the  right  to  manifest  religion  or  belief  in  worship, 
teaching,  practice  and  observance,  as  enshrined  in  Article  10  of  the  Charter  of 
Fundamental Rights of the European Union. 

(19)  There  is  sufficient  scientific  evidence  to  demonstrate  that  vertebrate  animals  are 
sentient  beings  which  should  therefore  fall  within  the  scope  of  this  Regulation. 
Reptiles  and  amphibians,  however,  are  not  animals  commonly  farmed  in  the 
Community and it would not therefore be appropriate or proportionate to include them 
within the scope. 

(20)  Many  killing  methods  are  painful  for  animals.  Stunning  is  therefore  necessary  to 
induce a lack of consciousness and sensibility before, or at the same time, the animals 
are killed. Measuring the lack of consciousness and sensibility of an animal is complex 
and  needs  to  be  performed  under  scientifically  approved  methodology.  Monitoring 
through  indicators,  however,  should  be  carried  out  to  evaluate  the  efficiency  of  the 
procedure under practical conditions. 

(21)  Monitoring stunning efficiency is mainly based on the evaluation of consciousness and 
sensibility of the animals. The consciousness of an animal is essentially its ability to 
feel  emotions  and  control  its  voluntary  mobility.  Despite  some  exceptions,  such  as 

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electro-immobilisations or other provoked paralysis, an animal can be presumed to be 
unconscious  when  it  loses  its  natural  standing  position,  is  not  awake  and  does  not 
show signs of positive or negative emotions such as fear or excitement. Sensibility of 
an animal is essentially its ability to feel pain. In general, an animal can be presumed 
to be insensitive when it does not show any reflexes or reactions to stimulus such as 
sound, odour, light or physical contact. 

(22)  New stunning methods are regularly developed and proposed on the market in order to 
face  the  new  challenges  of  the  farming  and  meat  industry.  It  is,  therefore,  important 
that  the  Community  authorises  the  Commission  to  approve  new  stunning  methods 
while keeping a uniform and high level of protection for animals. 

(23)  Codes of good practices are necessary to provide operators and competent authorities 
with specific information on the parameters to be used in order to ensure a high level 
of  protection  for  animals  while  keeping  a  level  playing  field  for  operators.  It  is, 
therefore, necessary that the Community authorises the Commission to adopt codes of 
good practices. 

(24)  Depending  on  how  they  are  used  during  the  slaughtering  or  killing  process,  some 
stunning  methods  can  lead  to  death  while  avoiding  pain  and  minimising  distress  or 
suffering  for  the  animals.  Consequently,  it  is  not  necessary  to  make  a  distinction 
between reversible and non-reversible methods of stunning. 

(25)  The conditions under which animals are stunned and the results of such stunning vary 
in practice due to many factors. Regular assessment of the outcome of stunning should 
therefore be made. For that purpose, operators should establish a representative sample 
for  checking  the  efficiency  of  their  stunning  practices,  taking  into  account  the 
homogeneity of the group of animals, and other critical factors, such as the equipment 
used and the personnel involved. 

(26)  The  welfare  of  animals  is  largely  influenced  by  the  daily  management  of  the 
operations,  and  reliable  results  can  only  be  obtained  if  operators  develop  monitoring 
tools  to  evaluate  their  effects.  Standard  operating  procedures  should  therefore  be 
developed at all stages of the production cycle and should be risk-based. They should 
include  clear  objectives, responsible persons, modus operandi, measurable criteria of 
acceptability, as well as monitoring and recording procedures. 

(27)  Well  trained  and  skilled  personnel  improve  the  conditions  under  which  animals  are 
treated.  Competence  with  regards  to  animal  welfare  implies  knowledge  of  the  basic 
behavioural  patterns  and  the  needs  of  the  species  concerned  as  well  as  signs  of 
consciousness  and  sensibility.  It  also  includes  technical  expertise  with  regard  to  the 
stunning  equipment  used.  Personnel  killing  animals  for  human  consumption  and 
people supervising the seasonal killing of fur animals should therefore be required to 
have a certificate of competence relevant to the operations they perform. Requiring a 
certificate  of  competence  for  other  personnel  killing  animals  would,  however,  be 
disproportionate to the aims pursued. 

(28)  Personnel with several years of experience may be presumed to have a certain level of 
expertise.  A  transitional  period  regarding  the  certificate  of  competence  requirements 
should therefore be provided for in this Regulation with regards to such personnel. 

(29)  Stunning  equipment  is  developed  and  designed  to  be  efficient  in  a  specific  context. 
Manufacturers  should  therefore  provide  detailed  instructions  to  users  concerning  the 
conditions  under  which  equipment  should  be  used  and  maintained  to  ensure  optimal 
welfare for the animals.  

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(30)  To  ensure  efficiency,  stunning  and  restraining  equipment  should  be  properly 
maintained. Equipment that is used intensively may require the replacement of certain 
parts  and  even  equipment  occasionally  used  may  decrease  in  efficiency  due  to 
corrosion or other environmental factors. Similarly, some equipments also need to be 
accurately  calibrated.  Operators  should  therefore  implement  maintenance  procedures 
for that equipment. 

(31)  Animals may suffer when stunning procedures fail. This Regulation should therefore 
provide for appropriate back-up stunning equipment to be available to minimise pain, 
distress or suffering to the animals. 

(32)  Regulation (EC) No 854/2004 provides for a list of establishments from which imports 
into the Community of specified products of animal origin are permitted. The general 
requirements and the additional requirements applicable to slaughterhouses laid down 
in this Regulation should be taken into account for the purposes of that list. 

(33)  Slaughterhouses and the equipment used therein are designed for particular categories 
of  animals  and  capacities.  Where  those  capacities  are  exceeded  or  the  equipment  is 
used  for  purposes  for  which  it  was  not  designed,  it  has  a  negative  impact  on  the 
welfare of animals. Information on these aspects should therefore be communicated to 
the  competent  authorities  and  should  be  part  of  the  approval  procedure  for 
slaughterhouses. 

(34)  Mobile  slaughterhouses  reduce  the  need  for  animals  to  be  transported  over  long 
distances  and  therefore  may  contribute  to  safeguarding  animal  welfare..  However, 
technical constraints for mobile slaughterhouses differ from fixed slaughterhouses and 
technical  rules  may  need  to  be  consequently  adapted.  Therefore,  this  Regulation 
should  provide  for  the  possibility  to  establish  derogations  exempting  mobile 
slaughterhouses  from  the  requirements  on  construction,  layout  and  equipment  of 
slaughterhouses. 

(35)  Science  and  technical  progress  are  regularly  made  with  regard  to  the  construction, 
layout and equipment of slaughterhouses. It is therefore important that the Community 
authorises  the  Commission  for  amending  the  requirements  applicable  to  the 
construction,  layout  and  equipment  of  slaughterhouses  while  keeping  a  uniform  and 
high level of protection for animals. 

(36)  Guidelines  are  necessary  to  provide  operators  and  the  competent  authorities  with 
specific information on the construction, layout and equipment of slaughterhouses in 
order  to  ensure  a  high  level  of  protection  for  animals,  while  maintaining  a  level 
playing field for operators. It is therefore necessary that the Community authorises the 
Commission for adopting such guidelines. 

(37)  Killing without stunning requires an accurate cut of the throat to minimise suffering. 
In addition, animals that are not mechanically restrained after the cut are likely to slow 
down  the  bleeding  process,  thereby  prolonging  unnecessarily  the  suffering  of  the 
animals.  Animals  slaughtered  without  stunning  should  therefore  be  individually 
restrained. 

(38)  Science  and  technical  progress  are  regularly  made  with  regard  to  the  handling  and 
restraining of animals at slaughterhouses. It is therefore important that the Community 
authorises the Commission for amending the requirements applicable to the handling 
and restraining of animals before slaughter while keeping a uniform and high level of 
protection for animals. 

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(39)  Guidelines are necessary to provide operators and competent authorities with specific 
information  on  the  handling  and  restraining  of  animals  before  slaughter  in  order  to 
ensure  a  high  level  of  protection  for  the  animals,  while  maintaining  a  level  playing 
field  for  operators.  It  is  therefore  necessary  that  the  Community  authorises  the 
Commission for adopting such guidelines. 

(40)  The  experience  gained  in  some  Member  States  has  shown  that  the  appointment  of  a 
specifically qualified person as an animal welfare officer to coordinate and follow up 
the  implementation  of  animal  welfare  operating  procedures  in  slaughterhouses  has 
provided  positive  welfare  benefits.  This  measure  should  therefore  be  applied 
throughout  the  Community.  The  animal  welfare  officer  should  have  sufficient 
authority and technical competence to provide relevant guidance to line personnel. 

(41)  Small  slaughterhouses  predominantly  involved  in  the  direct  sale  of  food  to  the  final 
consumer do not require a complex system of management to implement the general 
principles  of  this  Regulation.  The  requirement  to  have  an  animal  welfare  officer  in 
place would therefore be disproportionate to the objectives pursued in those cases and 
this  Regulation  should  provide  for  a  derogation  from  that  requirement  for  such 
slaughterhouses. 

(42)  Depopulation often involves crisis management with parallel priorities, such as animal 
health,  public  health,  environment,  or  animal  welfare.  Whilst  it  is  important  that 
animal welfare rules are complied with at all stages in the process of depopulation, it 
may occur that under exceptional circumstances compliance with those rules may put 
human  health  at  risk  or  may  significantly  slow  down  the  process  of  eradication  of  a 
disease, thereby exposing more animals to sickness and death. 

(43)  Accordingly,  the  competent  authorities  should  be  permitted  to  derogate  from  certain 
provisions of this Regulation on a case-by-case basis where the animal health situation 
requires  the  emergency  killing  of  animals  and/or  when  no  suitable  alternatives  are 
available to provide optimum welfare for them. Such derogations should not, however, 
be  a  substitute  for  proper  planning.  To  this  end,  the  level  of  planning  should  be 
increased  and  animal  welfare  properly  integrated  into  contingency  plans  for 
contagious diseases. 

(44)  Modern stunning and restraining equipment is increasingly complex and sophisticated, 
requiring specific expertise and analysis. Member States should therefore establish or 
appoint where already existing a specific centre of scientific and technical excellence 
as  a  reference  centre,  to  which  officials  could  refer  when  equipment  or  methods  for 
stunning animals need to be assessed. 

(45)  The efficiency of each stunning method is based on the control of key parameters and 
its regular evaluation. Developing national codes of good practices on animal welfare 
for  key  parameters,  indicators  and  monitoring  procedures  when  killing  animals  is 
therefore  critical  in  providing  proper  guidance  on  animal  welfare  for  operators  and 
competent authorities. 

(46)  The  development  of  such  codes  requires  scientific  knowledge,  practical  experience 
and compromise among stakeholders. A reference centre or network in each Member 
State  should  therefore  perform  this  task  in  cooperation  with  the  relevant  interested 
parties. 

(47)  The  delivery  of  certificates  of  competence  should  be  provided  in  a  uniform  manner. 
Bodies  or  entities  issuing  certificates  of  competence  should  therefore  be  accredited 

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according to consistent standards and by a single national authority. This role should 
accordingly be attributed to the reference centre. 

(48)  Regulations (EC) No 882/2004 provide for certain action to be taken by the competent 
authority  in  case  of  non-compliance,  in  particular  with  regard  to  welfare  rules. 
Accordingly, it is only necessary to provide for the additional actions to be taken that 
are specific to this Regulation. 

(49)  Regulation  (EC)  No  178/2002  of  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  of 
28 January  2002  laying  down  the  general  principles  and  requirements  of  food  law, 
establishing  the  European  Food  Safety  Authority  and  laying  down  procedures  in 
matters of food safety14 provides that the EFSA shall promote the networking of the 
national  centres  of  reference  so  as  to  facilitate  scientific  cooperation,  exchange  of 
information, development and implementation of joint projects, exchange of expertise 
and best practices in the field of food law. As animal welfare falls within the scope of 
Regulation (EC) No 178/2002, the networking of the references centres provided for 
in this Regulation is therefore an important role for the EFSA to play and to develop. 

(50)  The delivery of certificates of competence and training courses should be provided in 
a  uniform  manner.  This  Regulation  should  therefore  set  out  the  obligations  of  the 
Member  States  in  this  respect  and  the  modalities  under  which  certificates  of 
competence are to be granted, suspended or withdrawn. 

(51)  The construction, layout and equipment of slaughterhouses require long-term planning 
and  investment.  Accordingly,  this  Regulation  should  provide  for  an  appropriate 
transitional  period  to  take  into  account  the  necessary  time  to  allow  the  industry  to 
adapt to the corresponding requirements set out in this Regulation. During that period, 
the requirements of Directive 93/119/EC that are applicable to the construction, layout 
and equipment of slaughterhouses should continue to apply. 

(52)  The Member States should lay down rules on penalties applicable to infringements of 
the  provisions  of  this  Regulation  and  ensure  that  they  are  implemented.  Those 
penalties must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive. 

(53) 

In accordance with the principle of proportionality, it is necessary and appropriate for 
the achievement of the basic objective of protecting animals at the time of killing to 
lay down rules for the killing of animals for the production of food, wool, skin, fur or 
other products, and for related operations. This Regulation does not go beyond what is 
necessary  in  order  to  achieve  the  objectives  pursued,  in  accordance  with  the  third 
paragraph of Article 5 of the Treaty. 

(54)  The  measures  necessary  for  implementation  of  this  Regulation  should  be  adopted  in 
accordance  with  Council  Decision  1999/468/EC  of  28  June  1999  laying  down  the 
procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission15, 

14 

15 

OJ L 31, 1.2.2002, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 202/2008 (OJ 
L 60, 5.3.2008, p. 17). 
OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23. 

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HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 

CHAPTER I 

Subject matter, scope and definitions 

Article 1 

Subject matter and scope 

1. 

This Regulation lays down rules for the killing of animals kept for the production of 
food, wool, skin, fur or other products, and for related operations. 

However, as regards fish, only Article 3(1) shall apply. 

Chapter II, except for Article 3(1) and (2) thereof, Chapter III and Chapter IV except 
for  Article  16  thereof,  shall  not  apply  in  case  of  emergency  killing  and  where 
compliance with those provisions would result in an immediate and serious risk for 
human health or safety. 

2. 

This Regulation shall not apply: 

(a)  where animals are killed: 

(i) 

during  technical  or  scientific  experiments  carried  out  under  the 
supervision of the competent authority; 

(ii)  during hunting activities; 

(iii)  during cultural or sporting events; 

(iv)  by a veterinarian in the framework of his/her medical practice. 

(b) 

to  poultry  and  lagomorphs  slaughtered  outside  of  a  slaughterhouse  by  their 
owner for his/her personal consumption. 

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For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions shall apply: 

Article 2 

Definitions 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

(d) 

(e) 

(f) 

(g) 

(h) 

(i) 

(j) 

(k) 

(l) 

(m) 

(n) 

(o) 

“killing”  means  any  intentionally  induced  process  which  causes  the  death  of  an 
animal; 

“related  operations”  means  operations  such  as  handling,  lairaging,  restraining, 
stunning  and  bleeding  of  animals  taking  place  in  the  context  and  at  the  location 
where they are to be killed; 

“animal” means any vertebrate animal, excluding reptiles and amphibians; 

“emergency killing” means the killing of animals which are injured or have a disease 
associated  with  severe  pain  or  suffering  and  where  there  is  no  other  practical 
possibility to alleviate this pain or suffering; 

“lairaging” means keeping animals in stalls, pens, covered areas or fields associated 
with or part of slaughterhouse operations; 

“stunning”  means  any 
intentionally  induced  process  which  causes  loss  of 
consciousness  and  sensibility  without  pain,  including  any  process  resulting  in 
instantaneous death; 

“religious  rite”  means  a  series  of  acts  related  to  the  slaughter  of  animals  and 
prescribed by a religion such as Islam or Judaism; 

“cultural or sporting events” means events which are essentially and predominantly 
related to long established cultural traditions or sporting activities including racing or 
other  forms  of  competitions,  where  there  is  no  production  of  meat  or  other  animal 
products or where that production is marginal compared to the event as such and not 
economically significant; 

“standard  operating  procedures”  means  a  set  of  written  instructions  aimed  at 
achieving uniformity of the performance of a specific function or standard; 

“slaughter” means the killing of animals for human consumption; 

“slaughterhouse” means any establishment used for slaughtering terrestrial animals; 

“operator”  means  any  natural  or  legal  person  responsible  for  an  undertaking  which 
carries out activities covered by this Regulation; 

“fur  animals”  means  animals  of  the  mammal  species  primarily  reared  for  the 
production of fur such as minks, polecats, foxes, raccoons, coypu and chinchillas; 

“depopulation” means the process of killing animals for public health, animal health, 
animal  welfare  or  environmental  reasons  under  the  supervision  of  the  competent 
authority; 

“poultry” means farmed birds, including birds that are not considered to be domestic 
birds but which are farmed as domestic animals, with the exception of ratites; 

(p) 

“lagomorphs” means rabbits and hares. 

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CHAPTER II 

General requirements 

Article 3 

1. 

2. 

3. 

1. 

2. 

1. 

2. 

General requirements for killing and related operations  

Animals shall be spared any avoidable pain, distress or suffering during their killing 
and related operations.  

For  the  purposes  of  paragraph  1,  operators  shall,  in  particular,  take  the  necessary 
measures to ensure that animals: 

(a) 

are provided with physical comfort and protection, in particular by being kept 
clean, under thermal comfort and prevented from falling or slipping; 

(b) 

are protected from injury and disease; 

(c) 

are handled and housed taking into consideration their natural behaviour; 

(d)  do not show signs of pain, fear, aggression or other abnormal behaviour; 

(e) 

(f) 

do not suffer from prolonged withdrawal of feed or water; 

are prevented from adverse interaction. 

Facilities  used  for  killing  and  related  operations  shall  be  designed,  constructed, 
maintained and operated so as to comply with the obligations set out in paragraphs 1 
and 2 under the expected conditions of activity of the facility throughout the year. 

Article 4 

Methods for killing 

Animals  shall  only  be  killed  using  a  method  which  ensures  instantaneous  death  or 
after stunning. 

By  way  of  derogation  from  paragraph  1,  where  such  methods  are  prescribed  by 
religious rites, animals may be killed without prior stunning, provided that the killing 
takes place in a slaughterhouse. 

However, Member States may decide not to apply that derogation. 

Article 5 

Stunning 

Stunning shall be carried out in accordance with the methods set out in Annex I. 

The personnel responsible for stunning shall carry out regular checks to ensure that 
the  animals  do  not  present  any  signs  of  consciousness  or  sensibility  in  the  period 
between the end of the stunning process and the confirmation of death. 

Those checks shall be carried out on a sufficiently representative sample of animals 
and their frequency shall be established taking into account the outcome of previous 
checks and any factors which may affect the efficiency of the stunning process. 

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3. 

4. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

1. 

2. 

Annex  I  may  be  amended  in  accordance  with  the  procedure  referred  to  in 
Article 22(2) to take account of scientific and technical progress. 

However,  any  such  amendments  must  ensure  a  level  of  animal  welfare  at  least 
equivalent  to  that  of  the  existing  methods  as  demonstrated  by  scientific  evidence 
published in appropriate, internationally recognised, peer reviewed journals. 

Community Codes of good practices concerning the methods set out in Annex I may 
be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 22(2).  

Article 6 

Standard operating procedures  

Killing of animals and related operations shall be planned in advance and carried out 
in accordance with standard operating procedures. 

Operators shall draw up and implement such standard operating procedures to ensure 
that killing and related operations are carried out in accordance with Article 3(1). 

As regards stunning, the standard operating procedures shall: 

(a) 

take into account the manufacturers' recommendations;  

(b)  define  for  each  stunning  method  used  the  key  parameters  referred  to  in 

Chapter I of Annex I. 

The standard operating procedures shall be made available to the competent authority 
upon request. 

Article 7 

Level and certificate of competence 

Killing  and  related  operations  shall  only  be  carried  out  by  persons  with  the 
appropriate level of competence to do so in accordance with the rules laid down in 
this Regulation. 

The  following  slaughter  operations  shall  only  be  carried  out  by  persons  holding  a 
certificate of competence for such operations, as provided for in Article 18: 

(a) 

the handling and care of animals before they are restrained; 

(b) 

the restraint of animals for the purpose of stunning or killing; 

(c) 

the stunning of animals; 

(d) 

the assessment of effective stunning; 

(e) 

(f) 

the shackling or hoisting of live animals; 

the bleeding of live animals. 

3. 

The  killing  of  fur  animals  shall  be  supervised  by  a  person  holding  a  certificate  of 
competence  as  referred  to  in  Article  18  which  corresponds  to  all  the  operations 
carried out under his supervision. 

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Article 8 

Instructions for the use of restraining and stunning equipment 

Products marketed or advertised as restraining or stunning equipment shall not be placed on 
the  market  without  appropriate  instructions  concerning  their  use  and  maintenance,  in  a 
manner which ensures optimal conditions for the welfare of animals. 

Those instructions shall in particular specify: 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

the categories or weights of animals for which the equipment is intended to be used; 

the  recommended  parameters  corresponding  to  the  different  circumstances  of  use, 
including the key parameters set out in Annex I;  

for stunning equipment, a method for monitoring the efficiency of the equipment as 
regards compliance with the rules laid down in this Regulation. 

This Article shall apply where restraining or stunning is one or more of the functions of such 
equipment. 

Article 9 

Use of restraining and stunning equipment 

1. 

2. 

All equipment used for restraining or stunning animals shall be operated, maintained 
and  checked  by  appropriately  trained  personnel  and  in  accordance  with  the 
manufacturers' instructions. 

During  slaughter  operations,  appropriate  back-up  stunning  equipment  shall  be 
immediately  available  on-the-spot  and  used  in  the  case  of  failure  of  the  stunning 
equipment initially used. 

Article 10 

Imports from third countries 

The requirements laid down in Chapters II and III of this Regulation shall be relevant for the 
purposes of Article 12(2)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 854/2004. 

CHAPTER III 

Additional requirements applicable to slaughterhouses 

Article 11 

Construction, layout and equipment of slaughterhouses 

1. 

2. 

The construction and layout of slaughterhouses and the equipment used therein shall 
comply with the rules set out in Annex II. 

For the purposes of this Regulation the competent authority, referred to in Article 4 
of Regulation (EC) No 853/2004, shall approve for each slaughterhouse:  

(a) 

the maximum throughput for each slaughter line; 

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(b) 

(c) 

the  categories  of  animals  and  weights  for  which  the  restraining  or  stunning 
equipment available may be used; 

the maximum capacity for each lairage area intended for equidae and animals 
of the bovine, ovine, caprine and porcine species and poultry and lagomorphs. 

The  following  may  be  adopted  in  accordance  with  the  procedure  referred  to  in 
Article 22(2): 

(a) 

(b) 

derogations from the rules set out in Annex II for mobile slaughterhouses; 

amendments  necessary  to  adapt  Annex  II  to  take  account  of  scientific  and 
technical progress. 

Guidelines for the implementation of paragraph 2 of this Article and Annex II may 
be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 22(2). 

Article 12 

Handling and restraining operations before slaughter 

Operators  shall  ensure  that  the  operational  rules  for  slaughterhouses  set  out  in 
Annex III are complied with. 

Operators shall ensure that animals that are killed without stunning are mechanically 
restrained. 

Notwithstanding Article 3(1), the following methods of restraint shall be prohibited: 

(a) 

suspending or hoisting animals by their feet or legs; 

(b)  mechanical clamping of the legs or feet of animals; 

(c) 

breaking legs, cutting leg tendons or blinding animals; 

(d) 

severing the spinal cord, such as by the use of a puntilla or dagger; 

(e) 

the use of electric currents that do not stun or kill the animals under controlled 
circumstances, in particular, any electric current application that does not span 
the brain. 

However, points (a) and (b) shall not apply to the shackles used for poultry. 

Annex III may be amended in accordance with the procedure referred to in  Article 
22(2) to take account of scientific and technical progress. 

Guidelines for the implementation of the rules set out in Annex III may be adopted in 
accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 22(2). 

Article 13 

Monitoring at slaughter 

Operators  shall  put  in  place  and  implement  appropriate  monitoring  procedures  to 
verify  and  confirm  that  animals  for  slaughter  are  effectively  stunned  in  the  period 
between the end of the stunning process and the confirmation of death. 

3. 

4. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

1. 

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2. 

The  monitoring  procedures  referred  to  in  paragraph  1  shall  include  at  least  the 
following: 

(a) 

(b) 

the name of the persons responsible for the monitoring procedure; 

indicators  designed  to  detect  signs  of  unconsciousness  and  consciousness  or 
sensibility  in  the  animals  subjected  to  killing  operations  in  accordance  with 
Article  4(1);  or  signs  of  life  in  animals  subjected  to  slaughter  operations  in 
accordance with the first subparagraph of Article 4(2); 

(c) 

criteria  of  acceptability  for  determining  whether  or  not  the  results  of  the 
indicators referred to in point (b) are satisfactory or not;  

(d) 

the circumstances and/or the time when the monitoring must take place; 

(e) 

(f) 

the number of animals in each sample to be checked during the monitoring; 

appropriate  procedures  to  ensure  that  in  the  event  that  the  criteria  of 
acceptability  referred  to  in  point  (c)  are  not  met,  the  stunning  or  killing 
operations are reviewed in order to identify the causes of any shortcomings and 
the necessary changes to be made to those operations. 

A monitoring procedure shall be put in place for each slaughterline where different 
stunning equipment is used. 

The frequency of the monitoring checks shall take into account the main risk factors, 
such  as  changes  regarding  the  types  of  animals  slaughtered  or  personnel  working 
patterns  and  shall  be  established  so  as  to  ensure  results  with  a  high  level  of 
confidence. 

Community  codes  of  good  practices  concerning  monitoring  procedures 
in 
slaughterhouses  may  be  adopted  in  accordance  with  the  procedure  referred  to  in 
Article 22(2). 

Article 14 

Animal welfare officer 

Operators  shall  designate  an  animal  welfare  officer  for  each  slaughterhouse,  to  be 
responsible  for  ensuring  compliance  with  the  rules  laid  down  in  this  Regulation  in 
that slaughterhouse. He or she shall report directly to the operator on matters relating 
to the welfare of the animals. 

The animal welfare officer shall be under the direct authority of the operator and in a 
position to require that the slaughterhouse personnel carry out any remedial actions 
necessary to ensure compliance with the rules laid down in this Regulation.  

The  responsibilities  of  the  animal  welfare  officer  shall  be  set  out  in  the  standard 
operating procedures of the slaughterhouse and effectively brought to the attention of 
the personnel concerned.  

The  animal  welfare  officer  shall  hold  a  certificate  of  competence  as  referred  to  in 
Article  18,  which  covers  all  the  operations  taking  place  in  the  slaughterhouses  for 
which he or she is responsible. 

Paragraphs  1  and  4  shall  not  apply  to  slaughterhouses  slaughtering  less  than  1  000 
livestock units of mammals or 150 000 units of poultry per year. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

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CHAPTER IV 

Depopulation and emergency killing 

Article 15 

Depopulation 

1. 

The competent authority and the operators involved in a depopulation operation shall 
establish  an  action  plan  to  ensure  compliance  with  the  rules  laid  down  in  this 
Regulation, before the commencement of the operation.  

In particular, the killing methods planned and the corresponding standard operating 
procedures for ensuring compliance with the rules laid down in this Regulation, shall 
be  included  in  the  contingency  plans  required  under  Community  legislation  on 
animal  health,  on  the  basis  of  the  hypothesis  established  in  the  contingency  plan 
concerning the size and the location of suspected outbreaks. 

2. 

The competent authority and the operators involved in depopulation operations shall: 

(a) 

(b) 

ensure that such operations are carried out in accordance with the action plan 
referred to in paragraph 1; 

take any appropriate action to safeguard the welfare of the animals in the best 
available conditions. 

For  the  purposes  of  this  Article  and  in  exceptional  circumstances,  the  competent 
authority  may  grant  derogations  from  one  or  more  of  the  provisions  of  this 
Regulation  where  it  considers  that  compliance  is  likely  to  affect  human  health  or 
significantly slow down the process of eradication of a disease.  

Within one year from the date of the end of depopulation operation, the competent 
authority  referred  to  in  paragraph  1  shall  transmit  to  the  Commission  and  make 
publicly  available,  in  particular  through  the  internet,  an  evaluation  report  on  the 
results thereof. 

3. 

4. 

That report shall include, in particular: 

(a) 

the reasons for the depopulation; 

(b) 

the number and the species of animals killed; 

(c) 

(d) 

the stunning and killing methods used; 

a  description  of  the  difficulties  encountered  and,  where  appropriate, solutions 
found to alleviate or minimise the suffering of the animals concerned; 

(e) 

any derogation granted in accordance with paragraph 3. 

5. 

Guidelines for the drawing up and implementation of depopulation action plans may 
be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 22(2). 

Article 16 

Emergency killing 

In the case of emergency killing, the person in charge of the animals concerned shall take all 
the necessary measures to kill the animal as soon as possible.  

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CHAPTER V 

Competent Authority 

Article 17 

Reference centres 

1. 

Each Member State shall appoint a national reference centre (hereinafter referred to 
as the “reference centre”) to perform the following tasks: 

(a) 

provide  scientific  and  technical  expertise  relating  to  the  approval  of 
slaughterhouses; 

(b) 

carry out assessments of new stunning methods; 

(c) 

actively encourage the development by operators and other interested parties of 
codes  of  good  practice  for  the  implementation  of  this  Regulation  and  publish 
and disseminate such codes, and monitor their application; 

(d)  develop  guidelines  for  the  competent  authority  for  the  purposes  of  this 

Regulation; 

(e) 

(f) 

accredit  bodies  and  entities  for  the  issuance  of  certificates  of  competence,  as 
provided for in Article 18; 

correspond and cooperate with the Commission and other reference centres, in 
order to share technical and scientific information and best practices as regards 
the implementation of this Regulation.  

Within  one  year  from  the  date  of  the  entry  into  force  of  this  Regulation,  Member 
States shall submit details of their reference centre to the Commission and the other 
Member States, and shall make such information publicly available on the internet. 

Reference  centres  may  be  established  as  a  network,  made  up  of  separate  entities, 
provided  that  all  the  tasks  listed  in  paragraph  1  are  allocated  for  all  the  relevant 
activities taking place in the Member States concerned. 

Member States may appoint for an entity located outside their own territory to carry 
out one or more of those tasks. 

2. 

3. 

Article 18 

Certificate of Competence 

1. 

For the purposes of Article 7, Member States shall designate the competent authority 
responsible for: 

(a) 

ensuring  that  training  courses  are  available  for  personnel  involved  in  killing 
and related operations; 

(b)  delivering  certificates  of  competence  attesting  the  passing  of  an  independent 
final  examination;  the  subjects  of  this  examination  shall  be  relevant  for  the 
categories  of  animals  concerned  and  correspond  to  the  operations  listed  in 
Article 7(2), and the subjects set out in Annex IV; 

(c) 

approving training programmes of the courses referred to in point (a) and the 
content and modalities of the examination referred in point (b); 

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2. 

The  competent  authority  may  delegate  the  organisation  of  the  courses,  the  final 
examination and the issuance of the certificate of competence to a separate body or 
entity which: 

(a) 

(b) 

has the expertise, staff and equipment necessary to do so; 

is independent and free from any conflict of interest as regards the issuance of 
the certificates of competence; 

(c) 

is accredited by the reference centre. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

The details of such bodies and entities shall be made publicly available, in particular 
via the internet. 

Certificates  of  competence  shall  indicate  for  which  categories  of  animals  and  for 
which of the operations listed in Article 7(2) or (3) the certificate is valid.  

Certificates of competences shall not be valid for a period exceeding five years. 

Member States shall recognise certificates of competence issued in another Member 
State. 

Member  States  may  recognise  diplomas  delivered  for  other  purposes  as  certificates 
of  competence  provided  that  they  have  been  issued  under  conditions  equivalent  to 
those laid down in this Article. 

CHAPTER VI 

Non-compliance, penalties and implementing powers 

Article 19 

Non-compliance 

For the purpose of Article 54 of Regulation (EC) No 882/2004, the competent authority may 
in particular: 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

(d) 

request operators to amend their standard operating procedures and in particular slow 
down or stop production; 

increase the frequency of the monitoring procedures referred to in Article 13; 

withdraw certificates of competence from personnel showing insufficient knowledge 
or awareness of their tasks; 

suspend  or  withdraw  the  accreditation  of  bodies  and  entities  which  have  been 
accredited in accordance with Article 17(1)(e). 

Article 20 

Penalties 

The  Member  States  shall  lay  down  the  rules  on  penalties  applicable to  infringements  of  the 
provisions  of  this  Regulation  and shall  take  all  measures  necessary  to  ensure  that  they  are 
implemented. The penalties provided for must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive. The 
Member  States  shall  notify  those  provisions  to  the  Commission  by  [1  January  2011]  at  the 
latest and shall notify it without delay of any subsequent amendment affecting them. 

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Article 21 

Implementing Rules 

Any  detailed  rules  necessary  for  the  implementation  of  this  Regulation,  including  for  the 
slaughter or the killing of fish, may be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in 
Article 22(2). 

Article 22 

Committee Procedure 

1. 

2. 

The Commission shall be assisted by the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and 
Animal  Health,  established  by  Article  58  of  Regulation  (EC)  No  178/2002  of  the 
European Parliament and of the Council. 

Where  reference  is  made  to  this  paragraph,  Articles  5  and  7  of  Decision 
1999/468/EC shall apply. 

The period referred to in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at three 
months. 

3. 

The Committee shall adopt its Rules of Procedure. 

CHAPTER VII 

Final Provisions 

Article 23 

Repeal 

1. 

Directive 93/119/EEC is repealed. 

However,  for  the  purpose  of  Article  24(1)  of  this  Regulation,  the  following 
provisions of Directive 93/119/EEC shall continue to apply: 

(a)  Annex A:  

(i) 

Paragraph 1 of Section I;  

(ii)  Paragraph 1 and the second sentence of paragraph 3 and paragraphs 6, 7 

and 8 of Section II; 

(b)  Annex B, paragraph 1; 

(c)  Annex C, paragraphs 3.A.2, 3.B.4 and paragraphs 4.2 and 4.3 of Section II; 

(d)  Annex F, paragraphs 4(a) and 6(a) of Section II. 

2. 

References  to  the  repealed  Directive  shall  be  construed  as  references  to  this 
Regulation. 

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Article 24 

Transitional provisions 

1. 

2. 

Until  31  December  2018,  Article  11(1)  shall  only  apply  to  new  slaughterhouses  or 
for  any  new  construction,  layout  or  equipment  covered  by  the  rules  set  out  in 
Annex II, which have not entered into operation before the date of [application/entry 
into force] of this Regulation. 

Until 31 December 2014, Member States may provide for certificates of competence, 
as  referred  to  in  Article  18,  to  be  issued  without  examination  to  persons 
demonstrating relevant uninterrupted professional experience of at least [ten] years. 

Article 25 

Entry into Force 

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in 
the Official Journal of the European Union. 
It shall apply from [1st January 2011]. 

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. 

Done at Brussels,  

For the Council 
The President 

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LIST OF METHODS OF STUNNING AND KILLING AND RELATED SPECIFICATIONS 

ANNEX I 

(as referred to in Article 5(1)) 

Chapter I — Methods  

Table 1 — Mechanical methods 

No 

Name 

Description 

Category of animals 

Key parameters 

Specific requirements for 
certain methods - Chapter II 
of this Annex 

Severe  and  irreversible  damage  of  the  brain  provoked 
by the shock and the penetration of a captive bolt. 

All species. 

Position and direction of the shot. 

Not applicable. 

Severe  damage  of  the  brain  by  the  shock  of  a  captive 
bolt without penetration. 

Ruminants  up  to  10  kg, 
poultry and lagomorphs. 

Appropriate  velocity  and  diameter  of 
bolt  according  to  animal  size  and 
species. 

Position and direction of the shot. 

Not applicable. 

Appropriate  velocity  and  diameter  of 
bolt  according  to  animal  size  and 
species. 

1 

Penetrative 
captive  bolt 
pistol 

2  Non-

penetrative 
captive  bolt 
pistol 

3 

Firearm 
with 
projectile 

free 

Severe  and  irreversible  damage  of  the  brain  provoked 
by  the  shock  and  the  penetration  of  one  or  more 
projectiles. 

4  Maceration 

Immediate crushing of the entire animal. 

All species. 

Position of the shot. 

Not applicable. 

Power of the cartridge. 

Chicks  up  to  72  hours 
and egg embryos. 

Maximum  size  of  the  batch  to  be 
introduced. 

Point 1. 

Measure to prevent overloading. 

5  Cervical 

dislocation 

Manual  stretching  and  twist  of  the  neck  provoking 
cerebral ischemia. 

Birds up to 3 kg. 

Not applicable. 

Point 2. 

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No 

Name 

Description 

Category of animals 

Key parameters 

Specific requirements of 
Chapter II of this Annex 

Table 2 — Electrical methods 

1  Head-only 

electrical 
stunning  

Exposure  of  the  brain  to  a  current  generating  a 
generalised 
the  Electro-
epileptic 
Encephalogram (EEG). 

form 

on 

All species. 

Minimum current (A or mA). 

Point 3. 

2  Head-to-
Back 
electrical 
killing 

Exposure  of  the  body  to  a  current  generating  at  the 
same  time  a  generalised  epileptic  form  on  the  EEG 
(stunning)  and  the  fibrillation  or  the  stopping  of  the 
heart (killing). 

All  species  except  lambs 
or  piglets  of  less  than 
live  weight  and 
5 kg 
cattle. 

Minimum voltage (V). 

Maximum frequency (Hz). 

Minimum time of exposure. 

Maximum stun-to-stick interval (s). 

Frequency  of  calibration  of 
equipment. 

the 

Optimisation of the current flow. 

Prevention  of  electrical  shocks  before 
stunning. 

Minimum current (A or mA). 

Point 3. 

Point 
chinchillas. 

4 

for 

foxes 

and 

Minimum voltage (V). 

Maximum frequency (Hz). 

Minimum time of exposure. 

Frequency  of  calibration  of 
equipment. 

the 

Optimisation of the current flow. 

Prevention  of  electrical  shocks  before 
stunning. 

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3  Electrical 
waterbath 

Exposure  of  the  entire  body  through  a  waterbath  to  a 
current  generating  a  generalised  epileptic  form  on  the 
EEG  (stunning)  and  possibly  the  fibrillation  or  the 
stopping of the heart (killing). 

Poultry. 

Minimising pain at shackling. 

Point 5. 

Optimisation of current flow. 

Maximum  shackle  duration  before  the 
waterbath. 

Immersion  of  the  birds up  to  the  base 
of the wings. 

Maximum  stun-to-stick  interval  for 
frequency over 60 Hz. 

No 

Name 

Description 

Category of animals 

Key parameters 

Specific requirements of 
Chapter II of this Annex 

Table 3 — Gas methods 

at 

1  Carbon 
dioxide 
high 
concentra-
tion 

at 

2  Carbon 
dioxide 
low 
concentra-
tion 

3 

Inert gases 

Exposure  of  conscious  animals  to  a  gas  mixture 
containing more than 30% carbon dioxide. 

Pigs,  poultry  and 
animals. 

fur 

Carbon dioxide concentration. 

Point 6. 

Duration of exposure. 

Point 7 for poultry. 

Maximum stun-to-stick interval (pigs). 

Exposure  of  conscious  animals  to  a  gas  mixture 
containing less than 30% of carbon dioxide. 

Exposure  of  conscious  animals  to  a  inert  gas  mixture 
such  Argon  or  Nitrogen  containing  less  than  2%  of 
oxygen. 

Pigs and poultry. 

Carbon dioxide concentration. 

Point 7 for poultry. 

Duration of exposure. 

Maximum stun-to-stick interval in case 
of stunning (pigs). 

Pigs and poultry. 

Oxygen concentration. 

Point 7 for poultry. 

Duration of exposure. 

Maximum stun-to-stick interval in case 
of stunning (pigs). 

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4  Carbon 

monoxide 
(pure 
source) 

5  Carbon 

monoxide 
associated 
with  other 
gases 

Exposure  of  conscious  animals  to  a  gas  mixture 
containing more than 4 % of carbon monoxide. 

Exposure  of  conscious  animals  to  a  gas  mixture 
containing  more  than  1  %  of  carbon  monoxide 
associated with other toxic gases. 

Fur animals and piglets. 

Quality of the source of the gas. 

Point 8. 

Carbon monoxide concentration. 

Duration of exposure. 

Temperature of the gas. 

Fur animals. 

Carbon monoxide concentration. 

Duration of exposure. 

Temperature of the gas. 

Filtration  of  the  gas  produced  from 
engine. 

Point 8. 

Point 9. 

Table 4 — Other methods 

No 

Name 

Description 

Category of animals 

Key parameters 

Specific requirements of 
Chapter II of this Annex 

1  Lethal 

injection 
under 
veterinary 
supervision 

Loss  of  consciousness  and  sensibility  followed  by 
irreversible death induced by the injection of veterinary 
medicines. 

All species. 

Not applicable. 

Not applicable. 

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1. 

2. 

3. 

3.1 

3.2 

Chapter II — Specific Requirements for Certain Methods 

Maceration 

This method shall provide instantaneous maceration and death of the animals. 

Cervical dislocation 

The methods of cervical dislocation shall not be used on more than fifty animals per 
day. 

Head-only electrical stunning 

When  using  head-only  electrical  stunning,  electrodes  shall  span  the  brain  of  the 
animal. 

Head-only electrical stunning shall be carried  out  in  accordance  with  the  minimum 
currents set out in Table 1. 

Table 1 — Minimum currents for head-only electrical stunning 

Category 
of animals 

Minimum 
current 

Bovine 
animals of 6 
months or 
older 

Bovine 
animals less 
than 6 months 

Animals of 
ovine and 
caprine 
species 

Animals of 
porcine 
species 

Chicken 

Turkeys 

1,28 A 

1,25 A 

1,00 A 

1,30 A 

240 mA 

400 mA 

4. 

4.1 

Head-to-back electrical killing 

Animals of the ovine, caprine and porcine species. 

The minimum currents for head-to-back electrical killing shall be 1 ampere for sheep 
and 1,30 amperes for pigs. 

4.2 

Foxes 

Electrodes  must  be  applied  to  the  mouth  and  rectum  with  a  current  of  a  minimum 
value of 0,3 amperes and a minimum voltage of 110 volts for at least three seconds. 

4.3 

Chinchillas 

5. 

5.1 

5.2 

5.3 

Electrodes  must  be  applied  ear  to  tail  with  a  current  of  a  minimum  value  of  0,57 
amperes for at least 60 seconds. 

Electrical waterbath stunning of poultry 

Animals  shall  not  be  shackled  if  they  are  too  small  for  the  waterbath  stunner  or  if 
shackling is likely to induce or increase the pain suffered (such as injured animals). 
In these cases, they shall be killed by an alternative method. 

Shackles shall be wet, prior to hanging live birds, which shall be hung by both legs. 

Waterbath  stunning  shall  be  carried  out  in  accordance  with  the  minimum  currents 
laid  down  in  Table  2,  and  animals  shall  be  exposed  to  that  current  for  a  minimum 
duration of at least four seconds. 

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Table 2 — Electrical requirements for waterbath stunning equipment 

Frequency (Hz) 

Chickens 

Turkeys 

Ducks and geese 

< 200 Hz 

100 mA 

From 200 to 400 Hz 

150 mA 

From 400 to 1500 Hz 

200 mA 

250 mA 

400 mA 

400 mA 

130 mA 

Not permitted 

Not permitted 

6. 

Carbon dioxide at high concentration (over 30%) 

No  animals  shall  show  signs  of  consciousness  or  sensibility  after  30  seconds  of 
exposure. 

7. 

Carbon  dioxide  at  high  and  low  concentration,  use  of  inert  gases  or  a 
combination of those gas mixtures for poultry 

Under  no  circumstances  shall  gases  enter  into  the  chamber  or  the  location  where 
poultry are to be stunned and killed in a way that it could create burns or excitement 
by freezing or lack of humidity. 

Carbon monoxide (pure source or associated with other gases) for fur animals 

Animals shall be kept under visual supervision at all times. 

They  shall  be  introduced  one  by  one,  and  it  shall  be  ensured  that  before  the  next 
animal is introduced the previous one is unconscious or dead.  

Animals must remain in the chamber until they are dead. 

Carbon monoxide associated with other gases for fur animals 

Gas produced by an engine specially adapted for that purpose may be used provided 
that tests have shown that the gas used: 

8. 

8.1 

8.2 

8.3 

9. 

9.1 

(a) 

has been suitably cooled; 

(b)  has been sufficiently filtered; 

(c) 

is free from any irritant component or gas. 

9.2 

Animals  shall  not  be  placed  in  the  chamber  until  the  minimum  concentration  of 
carbon monoxide has been reached. 

EN 

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CONSTRUCTION, LAYOUT AND EQUIPMENT OF SLAUGHTERHOUSES 

ANNEX II 

(as referred to in Article 11) 

All lairage facilities 

Ventilation systems shall be designed, constructed and maintained so that the welfare 
of  the  animals  is  constantly  ensured,  taking  into  account  the  expected  range  of 
weather conditions. 

Where  mechanical  means  of  ventilation  are  required,  provision  shall  be  made  for 
emergency back-up facilities in the event of breakdown. 

Lairage facilities for animals not delivered in containers  

Pens, passageways and races shall be designed and constructed to allow: 

(a) 

the  animals  to  move  freely  in  the  required  direction  using  their  behavioural 
characteristics and without distraction; 

(b)  pigs  or  sheep  to  walk  side  by  side,  except  in  the  case  of  races  leading  to  the 

restraining equipment. 

The water supply system shall be designed and constructed so as to allow all animals 
access  to  clean  water  at  all  times  without  being  injured  or  limited  in  their 
movements.  

There shall be a waiting pen, with a level floor and solid sides, between the holding 
pens  and  the  race  leading  to  the  point  of  stunning,  to  ensure  a  steady  supply  of 
animals for stunning and killing and to avoid animal handlers having to rush animals 
from the holding pens. The waiting pen shall be so designed that animals cannot be 
trapped or trampled.  

Floors shall be built in such way as to minimise the risk of animals slipping, falling 
or injuring their feet. 

Restraining equipment and facilities 

Restraining equipment and facilities shall be designed and built to: 

(a) 

optimise the application of the stunning or killing method; 

(b)  prevent injury or contusions to the animals; 

(c)  minimise struggle and vocalisation when animals are restrained. 

Restraining boxes used in conjunction with a captive bolt shall be fitted with a device 
that restricts both the lateral and vertical movement of the head of the animal. 

Systems restraining bovine animals by inversion or any unnatural position shall not 
be used. 

Electrical stunning equipment 

Electrical stunning equipment shall be fitted with a device which records the details 
of the electrical key parameters for each animal stunned or killed. 

1. 

1.1 

1.2 

2. 

2.1 

2.2 

2.3 

2.4 

3. 

3.1 

3.2 

3.3 

4. 

4.1 

4.2 

Electrical apparatus shall deliver a constant current. 

EN 

37 

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5. 

5.1 

5.2 

5.3 

5.4 

5.5 

5.6 

5.7 

5.8 

6. 

6.1 

6.2 

6.3 

6.4 

7. 

7.1 

7.2 

Waterbath stunning equipment 

Shackle lines shall be designed and positioned in such a way that birds suspended on 
them are clear of any obstruction and that disturbance to the animals is reduced to a 
minimum. 

The whole length of the shackle line up to the point of entry into the scald tank must 
be easily accessible in case animals have to be removed from the slaughterline. 

The size and shape of the metal shackles shall be appropriate to the size of the legs of 
poultry  to  be  slaughtered  so  that  electrical  contact  can  be  secured  without  causing 
pain. 

Waterbath stunning equipment shall be equipped with an electrically insulated entry 
ramp and designed and maintained so as to prevent overflow of water at the entrance. 

The  electrodes  in  waterbath  stunning  equipment  must  extend  the  full  length  of  the 
waterbath. The waterbath must be designed and maintained in such a way that when 
the  shackles  pass  over  the  water  they  are  in  continuous  contact  with  the  earthed 
rubbing bar. 

A  system  in  contact  with  the  breast  of  the  birds  shall  be  built  from  the  point  of 
shackling until the birds enter the waterbath stunner in order to calm them down. 

Waterbaths shall be supplied with a constant current. 

Access to the waterbath stunning equipment shall be available to allow the bleeding 
of  birds  that  have  been  stunned  and  remain  in  the  waterbath  as  a  result  of  a 
breakdown or delay in the line. 

Gas stunning equipment for pigs 

Gas  chambers  and  equipment  used  for  conveying  animals  through  them  shall  be 
designed and built to: 

(a) 

optimise the application of the stunning by gas; 

(b)  prevent injury or contusions to the animals; 

(c)  minimise struggle and vocalisation when animals are restrained. 

The  gas  chamber  shall  be  equipped  to  measure,  display  and  record  the  gas 
concentration  and  the  time  of  exposure,  and  to  give  a  clearly  visible  and  audible 
warning if the concentration of gas falls below the required level.  

The  gas  chamber  and  conveying  mechanism  shall  be  designed  and  constructed  to 
allow visual inspection at all stages of the stunning. 

The gas chamber shall be designed in a manner that, even at the maximum permitted 
throughput, the animals are able to lie down without being stacked on each other. 

Gas stunning equipment for poultry 

Points 6.1 and 6.2 shall apply to gas stunning equipment for poultry. 

Facilities for poultry shall be designed and built so that animals are  only  conveyed 
into the gas mixtures in transport crates without being unloaded. 

EN 

38 

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ANNEX III 

OPERATIONAL RULES FOR SLAUGHTERHOUSES 

(as referred to in Article 12) 

The arrival, moving and handling of animals 

The  welfare  conditions  of  each  consignment  of  animals  shall  be  systematically 
assessed  by  the  animal  welfare  officer  or  a  person  reporting  directly  to  the  animal 
welfare officer in order to identify the priorities, in particular by determining which 
animals have specific welfare needs and the corresponding measures to be taken. 

1. 

1.1 

1.2 

Animals  must  be  unloaded  as  quickly  as  possible  after  arrival  and  subsequently 
slaughtered without undue delay. 

In  the  case  of  poultry  or  lagomorphs,  the  total  time  of  transport  added  to  the  time 
spent between unloading and slaughter shall not exceed 12 hours. 

In the case of mammals, except lagomorphs, the total time of transport added to the 
time spent between unloading and slaughter shall not exceed: 

(a) 

19 hours for unweaned animals; 

(b)  24 hours for equidae and pigs; 

(c) 

29 hours for ruminants. 

1.3 

1.4 

1.5 

After  the  expiry  of  those  time  limits,  the  animals  must  be  lairaged,  fed,  and 
subsequently given moderate amounts of food at appropriate intervals. In such cases, 
the  animals  shall  be  provided  an  appropriate  amount  of  bedding  or  equivalent 
material  which  guarantees  a  level  of  comfort  appropriate  to  the  species  and  the 
number  of  animals  concerned.  This  material  must  ensure  adequate  absorption  of 
urine and faeces. 

Containers  in  which  animals  are  transported  must  be  handled  with  care,  and  in 
particular must not be thrown or dropped. 

When containers are put one on top of the other, the necessary precautions shall be 
taken: 

(a) 

to limit urine and faeces falling on the animals placed underneath; 

(b) 

to ensure stability of the containers; 

(c) 

to ensure that ventilation is not impeded. 

For  the  purpose  of  slaughter,  unweaned  animals,  lactating  dairy  animals,  females 
having  given  birth  during  the  journey  or  animals  delivered  in  containers  shall  be 
given priority over other types of animal. If this is not possible, arrangements shall 
be made so as to relieve them from their suffering, in particular by: 

(a)  milking dairy animals at intervals of not more than 12 hours; 

(b)  providing appropriate conditions for  suckling and  the welfare of the newborn 

animal in the case of a female having given birth; 

(c) 

providing water in the case of animals delivered in containers. 

1.6 

Mammals, except lagomorphs, which are not taken directly to the place of slaughter 
after  being  unloaded,  must  have  drinking  water  available  to  them  from  appropriate 
facilities at all times. 

EN 

39 

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1.7 

It shall be prohibited to: 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

strike or kick the animals; 

apply pressure to any particularly sensitive part of the body in such a way as to 
cause animals avoidable pain or suffering; 

lift or drag the animals by the head, ears, horns, legs, tail or fleece, or handle 
them in such a way as to cause them avoidable pain or suffering; 

(d)  use prods or other implements with pointed ends. 

1.8 

The  use  of  instruments  which  administer  electric  shocks  shall  be  avoided  as  far  as 
possible. In any case, such instruments shall only be used  for adult bovine  animals 
and adult pigs which refuse to move, and only when they have room ahead of them 
in  which  to  move.  The  shocks  shall  last  no  longer  than  one  second,  be  adequately 
spaced and shall only be applied to the muscles of the hindquarters. Shocks shall not 
be used repeatedly if the animal fails to respond. 

1.9 

Animals  shall  not  be  tied  by  the  horns,  antlers,  nose  rings  or  by  legs  tied  together. 
When animals need to be tied, the ropes, tethers or other means used shall be: 

(a) 

strong enough not to break; 

(b) 

such as to allow the animals, if necessary, to lie down and to eat and drink; 

(c) 

designed  in  such  a  way  as  to  eliminate  any  danger  of  strangulation  or  injury, 
and so as to allow animals to be quickly released. 

Additional rules for mammals in lairage (except for lagomorphs) 

Each animal shall have enough space to stand up, lie down and turn around. 

Animals shall be kept securely in the lairage and care must be taken to prevent them 
from escaping and from predators.  

Every day that the slaughterhouse operates, before any animal arrives, isolation pens 
for animals that require specific care shall be prepared and kept ready for immediate 
use. 

The  condition  and  state  of  health  of  the  animals  in  a  lairage  shall  be  regularly 
inspected  by  the  animal  welfare  officer  or  a  person  having  an  appropriate 
competence. 

Bleeding of animals 

Where one person is responsible for the stunning, shackling, hoisting and bleeding of 
animals, that person must carry out all those operations consecutively on one animal 
before carrying out any of them on another animal. 

When  the  stunning  method  does  not  kill  the  animal,  the  two  carotid  arteries  or 
vessels from which they arise shall be systematically severed. 

Birds  shall  not  be  slaughtered  by  means  of  automatic  neck  cutters  unless  it  can  be 
ascertained  whether  or  not  the  neck  cutters  have  effectively  severed  the  blood 
vessels.  When  neck  cutters  have  not  been  effective  the  bird  shall  be  killed 
immediately. 

2. 

2.1 

2.2 

2.3 

2.4 

3. 

3.1 

3.2 

3.3 

EN 

40 

   EN 

 
ANNEX IV 

CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN ACTIVITIES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR 
EXAMINATION OF COMPETENCE 

(as referred to in Article 18) 

Slaughter operations listed in Article 7(2) 

Subjects for examination of competence 

All operations listed in Article 7 (2) (a) to (f).  Animal 

behaviour, 

animal 

consciousness  and  sensibility,  stress 
animals. 

suffering, 
in 

(a) 

the handling and care of animals before 
they are restrained; 

Practical  aspects  of  handling  and  restraining 
animals. 

(b) 

the restraint of animals for the purpose 
of stunning or killing; 

(c) 

the stunning of animals; 

Practical aspects of stunning techniques. 

Back-up stunning and/or killing methods. 

Maintenance  of  stunning  and/or  killing 
equipments. 

(d) 

the assessment of effective stunning; 

Monitoring the effectiveness of stunning. 

Back-up stunning and/or killing methods. 

(e) 

the shackling or hoisting of live animals;  Practical  aspects  of  handling  and  restraining 

animals. 

(f) 

the bleeding of live animals. 

Monitoring the effectiveness of stunning. 

Back-up stunning and/or killing methods. 

EN 

41 

   EN