EU launches farm animal welfare consultation

The European Commission has launched an internet consultation on the welfare of farm animals, to assess the level of public awareness of animal welfare issues, and to gauge how important they are for EU citizens.

Questions in the online survey cover the perceived level of animal welfare protection in the EU, including for individual species, and where improvements could be made. Other topics relate to the sources and quality of information on animal welfare, and measures that could be taken at EU-level to increase awareness on this issue.

Participants in the survey are also asked what results they would expect to see if animal welfare standards were to become a greater consideration in food production.

The online survey, which will run until 11 December 2005, is the second initiative in the framework of the Commission's consultation on animal welfare, following the gathering of comments from the Advisory Group on the Food Chain and Animal and Plant Health in July. The Commission will adopt an Action Plan on Animal Welfare in early December, and the results of this public consultation will be published simultaneously.