The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has initiated the procedure for the participation of interested entities for the designation of a national reference centre for animal welfare, through a resolution published in the Official State Gazette (BOE).
The designation of this national centre is part of the set of measures that the Ministry of Agriculture is adopting to improve the implementation of the regulations on official controls in relation to animal welfare. All this, in accordance with the guidelines derived from the European Strategy “From farm to table”, which promotes the improvement of animal welfare, as well as transparency and information for consumers.
The deadline for the presentation of candidatures of the interested entities begins tomorrow, May 15 and ends on June 14.
Reference centres
In order to ensure a harmonised approach to controls and other official activities, the European Union adopted Regulation 2017/625, which states that competent authorities must have access to up-to-date, reliable and consistent technical data, to which results of research, new techniques and specialised knowledge necessary for the correct application of Community legislation, within the framework of the agri-food chain, including animal welfare.
In this regard, the European Commission has appointed two centres within the European Union: one for pigs, created in 2018; and another for poultry and other small farm animals, in 2019. The designation of a third centre, dedicated to ruminant animals and equidae, is planned.
Some Member States, such as France and Italy, have appointed national reference centres for animal welfare. At present, Spain does not yet have a national reference centre in this field, although there are reference centres in the field of zootechnics, as well as reference laboratories for animal health.
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