Maltese chicken breeders will soon have to start implementing new rules at their farms and hatcheries following new EU Commission proposals aimed at improving animal welfare.
The Commission yesterday unveiled new laws to improve the welfare of intensively reared chicken, the first pan European minimum rules to be applied in this sector. The legislation came in response to the long-standing appeal of member states and citizens for the Commission to take action in this area.
Chicken meat production is the largest and least regulated area of meat production within the livestock industry and the new rules are designed to improve welfare standards for intensively farmed chickens.
The EU produces 5.2 billion broilers per year but consumers remain largely uninformed about how the chickens are reared.
The new laws, adopted on Monday, set out maximum stocking density of 30kg live animals per square metre, access to litter, drinkers and feed as well as proper ventilation. Buildings must have a certain level of light, a minimum of two daily inspections and seriously injured or ill chickens should be treated or culled. Detailed records of house temperatures, medical treatments and mortality rates must also be kept.
Markos Kyprianou, Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, said that animal welfare is not just about ethics, it is also a quality issue for consumers.
"The number of chickens slaughtered every year is higher than in any other livestock sector in the EU. Intensive farming methods in this sector have led to significant welfare problems and consumers have repeatedly expressed concern about the welfare of chickens," he said.
He said that the results-oriented approach set out in the proposal will ensure concrete improvements for the animals while also allowing farmers some flexibility in their farming methods, as long as they continue to meet the set welfare standards.
The new directive now has to be examined by the European Council and the European Parliament will be consulted. The proposal also requires the Commission to report within two years on a possible mandatory labelling scheme based on compliance with the animal welfare standards in the directive.
The European Commission plans further developments in the area of animal welfare, which will be set out in an upcoming EU action plan.
Animal welfare groups yesterday greeted the plans with caution, arguing that the new rules did not go far enough to tackle the genetic aspects of broiler production.