Summary Description
- Sets minimum animal welfare standards for calves by limiting the use of cages (individual pens) until the animal reaches eight weeks of age.
- TopicThe topic of the legislation or policy covered by the text
- AgricultureAnimal welfare
- SpeciesThe animal, or type of food production, covered by the text
- Calves
- JurisdictionCountry or geographical area where the text applies
- EU
- Sub-jurisdictionCountry or state where the text applies
- EU Member States laws can impose stricter standards.
- Type of ActWhether the act is a law, regulation, or policy, or another type of text
- Legislation
- StatusIndicates whether the act is in force or not
- In force
- Legal ValueWhether the text is binding or not
- Binding
- Date enactedDate the text was adopted
- 2008
- Date updatedDate when the entry was last updated by the CALF team
- June, 2023
- Official citation
- Council Directive 2008/119 of 18 December 2008 Laying Down Minimum Standards for the Protection of Calves, 2009 O.J. (L 10) 7 - 13 (E.U.)
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Strengths
- Covers all calves for rearing and fattening (including on dairy farms).
- Sets minimum animal welfare standards:
- Sets inspection rate by farmers (twice a day for calves kept indoor, once a day for calves kept outdoors).
- Limits the use of cages for calves until 8 weeks of age.
- Sets minimum space allowance per animal.
- Imposes that individual pens contain perforated walls to ensure visual and tactile contacts with other animals.
- Prohibits keeping calves permanently in darkness or tethered.
- Sets minimum level of iron in the feed.
- Animals who are imported from outside the EU must have received treatment at least equivalent to the ones set EU law.
- Weaknesses
- Excludes calves older than six months and calves on farms with fewer than six calves from the scope of the legislation.
- Allows the use of cages (individual pens) for calves.