'Food for Life'
Catering Mark

The EU set out in the Treaty of Amsterdam, in May 1999, new ground rules for the actions of the European Union (EU) on animal welfare. This Treaty recognises that animals are 'sentient beings'. "The general aim is to ensure that animals do not endure avoidable pain or suffering, and obliges the owner/keeper of animals to respect minimum welfare requirements." More from EU on Animal Welfare

The EU and Member States must now pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals, while respecting the legislative or administrative provisions and customs of the Member States relating in particular to religious rites, cultural traditions and regional heritage. Cruelty against animals, mistreatment and the use of animals in competitions remain the responsibility of national governments.

New regulations and codes for pigs (The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2003) have been introduced in response to a new EU Directive. DEFRA explain more about the law at Farm Animal Welfare: On-farm. This is part of a wider UK Strategy for Animal Health and Welfare.

The UK government is proposing a new Animal Welfare Bill. This 'robust but flexible' bill, should consolidate and simplify current legislation on the welfare of animals. They published a draft Animal Welfare Bill on 14 July 2004. "It introduces a duty on owners and keepers of all vertebrate animals - not just farmed animals - to promote the welfare of animals in their care." Latest from DEFRA