Summary Description
- Sets minimum rules for the protection of animals during their killing (slaughter, depopulation, emergency killing).
- TopicThe topic of the legislation or policy covered by the text
- AgricultureAnimal welfare
- SpeciesThe animal, or type of food production, covered by the text
- Farmed animals
- JurisdictionCountry or geographical area where the text applies
- EU
- Sub-jurisdictionCountry or state where the text applies
- EU
- 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
- 2009
- Date updatedDate when the entry was last updated by the CALF team
- June, 2023
- Official citation
- Council Regulation 1099/2009 of 24 September 2009 on the Protection of Animals at the Time of Killing, 2009 O.J. (L 303) 1 - 30 (E.U.)
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Strengths
- Establishes a list of lawful killing practice per type of killing (mechanical, electrical, gaseous) animal, and purpose.
- Imposes checks on loss of consciousness of animals.
- Requires training of handlers who conduct the killing of animals and the presence of an "animal welfare officer" in slaughterhouses.
- Weaknesses
- Although the scope of the regulation includes aquatic animals, none of the provisions in the regulation are applicable to them. There are no specific standards for aquatic animals.
- Allows all common killing practices. The Regulation does not implement scientific opinions by the European Food Safety Authority, which recommended against CO2 stunning and electrical water bath.
- Allows the slaughter without stunning of animals for religious purposes.
- Has an extra-territorial effect: the method of production of all meat imported to the EU must comply with the standards set in the Regulation.