New rules for welfare of broilers
Member states will now have until 2010 to implement the new rules.
Markos Kyprianou, European Commissioner for Health, said EU consumers have repeatedly expressed concern at the welfare problems that can arise through intensive chicken farming.
“Not only will this result in better animal welfare across Europe, but it should also contribute to improving the health of the birds and the quality of their meat,” he said.
The main provision of the directive is to reduce the overcrowding of chickens by setting a maximum stocking density. It also lays down a number of other conditions to ensure better animal welfare, such as lighting, litter, feeding, and ventilation requirements.
Compassion in World Farming Ireland claimed, however, that the directive setting minimum standards for chickens reared for meat is unacceptable. It did almost nothing to improve the welfare of the five billion chickens reared for meat annually in the European Union, it said.
CIWF-Ireland director Mary-Anne Bartlett said it was very disappointed with the standards set in the directive. It gave the green light to highly intensive poultry production, she said.
