The European Council of Agriculture Ministers has approved the implementation of a labeling on animal welfare at European level, highlighting the general objective of improving animal welfare for the largest possible number of food-producing animals.
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The Council invites the European Commission to present a proposal on an EU-wide animal welfare label for food produced with animal welfare standards higher than those of EU legislation. “A common EU label on animal welfare would increase credibility and transparency in our markets and allow consumers to make more informed decisions. It would also help reward producers who respect those standards,” they say from the Commission.
Ministers supported consumer demands to easily recognize food produced under stricter animal welfare standards and, through the conclusions, called for specific criteria to be taken into account when developing an EU-wide label.
Ministers emphasized the need to go beyond current EU legal requirements on animal welfare, to gradually include all livestock species on the label throughout their life (including transport and slaughter) and to ensure a smooth interaction with existing tags.
