On 17 September the four EURCAWs hosted an online meeting with National Reference Centres (NRCs) for Animal Welfare and the Supporting Bodies (SBs) of Competent Authorities. Over 50 people attended the meeting, with representation from across EU Member States.

The meeting started with presentations from the EURCAWs, including an introduction to EURCAW Aqua (designated in January 2024), a NRC, a National Centres Group on Animal Welfare and a SB presentation. As the aim of the meeting is to explore ways to collaborate, workshops and interactive sessions were also used.

The first workshop session considered a theme relevant to all EURCAWs: “Approval and assessment of stunning equipment” and was presented by Dr Virginie Michel. ​The aim of the workshop was to have a better understanding about the needs of MSs and the type of work that the EURCAWs can provide on this topic.​

Council Regulation No. 1099/2009 states that “Products marketed or advertised as restraining or stunning equipment shall only be sold when accompanied by appropriate instructions concerning their use in a manner which ensures optimal conditions for the welfare of animals. Those instructions shall also be made publicly available by the manufacturers via the Internet”.​

However, some Member States have raised issues about new equipment being installed, for which proof of efficiency has not been made available. Polling tools were used to request feedback from NRCs and SBs and inform the workshop discussion.

After a short break, attendees were divided into EURCAW- specific workshops. The themes were:

• Managing larger litter sizes (EURCAW Pigs)​
• Good practices (farm/transport/slaughter) (EURCAW Poultry-SFA)​
• Emergency killing (EURCAW Ruminants & Equines)

The meeting finished with a wrap-up session including a summary of key points from the EURCAW-specific workshops.

To keep up to date on future meetings, please check the meetings page on the website.