Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the implementation of Council Directive 98/58/EC concerning the protection of animals kept for farming purposes

Article 5(2) of Directive 98/58/EC requires the Commission to submit a report to the Council based on the experience gained by Member States since its implementation. The present report covers the period from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2014.

Three sources of information have been used in compiling this report:
- Firstly, the data used stem from reports of the Commission containing the results of its audits performed in Member States. The reports are mainly from the years 2011-2013, as the audits performed in those years specifically targeted the on-farm situation.
- Secondly, each Member State must ensure that animal welfare inspections are performed in line with the rules on official controls laid down in Regulation (EC) No 882/2004. National competent authorities are responsible for reporting the findings of these inspections annually to the Commission. The Commission has used the data provided by the Member States for the years 2013 and 2014 as these data tend to reflect the most recent situation.
- Finally, the Commission at times receives complaints concerning the alleged failure of one or more Member States to apply Union law. These complaints can also provide valuable insight into areas that are perceived by citizens to not be properly enforced.

ESO: EU animal welfare strategy, 2012-2015: state of play and possible next steps http://www.europeansources.info/record/eu-animal-welfare-strategy-2012-2015-state-of-play-and-possible-next-steps/

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