Report on the application of Directive 2007/43/EC and its influence on the welfare of chickens kept for meat production, as well as the development of welfare indicators

Further information:

This report concerns Council Directive (EC) 2007/43/EC which lays down minimum rules for the protection of chickens kept for meat production and which requires the Commission to report to the European Parliament and to the Council on the application and influence of the Directive on the welfare of chickens kept for their meat.

The report takes into account production conditions which influence broiler welfare as well as the socioeconomic and administrative implications of the Directive including regional aspects. This report is also one of the actions foreseen in the EU strategy for the protection and welfare of animals 2012-2015. The EU strategy promoted an approach based on animal welfare outcomes and that indicators for assessing the welfare of broilers and at slaughter should be used more widely in future.

This report is based on a study completed in 2017 on the socio-economic and animal welfare impacts of implementing the Directive. Other sources of information include audits by the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety which provide information on official controls, opinions of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and other studies which provide the scientific knowledge on broiler welfare and the outcome of a workshop with all Member States in 2017 on the use of slaughterhouse data to monitor welfare.