28 June 2024

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has released a scientific opinion addressing the hazards and welfare consequences associated with the on-farm killing of sheep and goats. Eurogroup for Animals calls on the European Commission to take this assessment into account when it revises the Regulation 1099/2009.

EFSA’s new assessment covers situations where sheep and goats need to be killed for purposes other than slaughter for human consumption, such as for disease control, environmental contamination, or the individual euthanasia of unproductive, injured or terminally ill animals. 

The assessment divides the on-farm killing process into two main phases:

• Pre-killing (phase 1): This includes the handling and moving of animals to the killing location, as well as the restraint of animals before the application of killing methods
• Stunning and killing (phase 2): This covers the actual stunning and killing of the animals using mechanical, electrical, or lethal injection methods.

For each phase, the EFSA opinion identifies potential welfare consequences that sheep and goats may experience, such as:

• Handling stress;
• Restriction of movements;
• Soft tissue lesions and integument damage;
• Bone lesions (including fractures and dislocations);
• Pain;
• Fear;
• Distress.

Additionally, the opinion identifies possible welfare hazards for each process, along with their origins and related preventive and corrective measures. Comprehensive outcome tables linking hazards, welfare consequences, animal-based measures, origins, and mitigation strategies are included.

The EFSA assessment provides a thorough evaluation of the animal welfare implications of the on-farm killing of these sentient beings. This information is expected to inform regulatory efforts, such as the upcoming revision of the EU’s Regulation 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing. It’s critical that this happens and that this scientific opinion, along with other recent evidence and research in this field, is factored into policy-making: ensuring EU-level legislation reflects the latest knowledge on animal welfare, and minimises their suffering during this vulnerable period to the greatest extent possible. 

Eurogroup for Animals calls for an urgent update to the Slaughter Regulation to ensure humane treatment of animals. Our key proposals include:

• Replacing outdated and ineffective stunning methods with more humane alternatives
• Ensuring all animals are adequately stunned before slaughter
• Banning the use of electric prods
• Introducing species-specific rules on effective stunning in aquaculture.

Regards Mark