European Union Reference Centre for Animal Welfare Ruminants and Equines
The Istituto Zooprofilattico of Abruzzo and Molise has been designated as the EU Reference Centre for the Welfare of Ruminants and Equines by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE), which is responsible for EU policy on food safety, health, and the monitoring of regulatory implementation.
The decision to establish the EU Reference Centre for the Welfare of Ruminants and Equines was taken during the seventh meeting of the EU Platform on Animal Welfare, held in June 2020, with the aim of addressing gaps in the sector. This Centre is the third to be designated by the European Commission, following the Centre for the Welfare of Pigs (established in March 2018) and the one for the Welfare of Poultry and other small farmed animals (established in October 2019).
The establishment of EU Reference Centres for Animal Welfare is foreseen by Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017, on official controls performed to ensure the application of legislation on food and feed, animal health and welfare, plant health, and plant protection products.
The designation of the Istituto Zooprofilattico of Abruzzo and Molise followed a public selection process, through which a European consortium was formed. The consortium is led by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the Swedish Centre for Animal Welfare. In addition to IZS Teramo, the consortium includes the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE); the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU); University College Dublin; and the Hellenic Agricultural Organisation – Demeter (ELGO-DIMITRA) in Greece.
The EU Reference Centres are tasked with improving the implementation of animal welfare legislation, which is one of the Commission’s priorities. Their activities include providing technical support and assistance to EU Member States in carrying out official controls in the field of animal welfare, promoting good practices, conducting studies and research, and developing methods to assess and improve animal welfare standards. To ensure the transfer of knowledge and innovative strategies, the Centres are also responsible for disseminating research findings and delivering training to staff of the EU Competent Authorities and experts from third countries.
