European Forum of Animal Welfare Councils

The Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”, as OIE Collaborating Centre for Veterinary Training, Epidemiology, Food Safety and Animal Welfare, hosted on 12-13 June 2014 the annual meeting of the European Forum of Animal Welfare Councils (EuroFAWC). The event was held at the Conference Venue of the International Centre for Veterinary Training and Information “F. Gramenzi” (CIFIV).

The Animal Welfare Councils were set up by several European countries to provide national governments with technical and scientific support in relation to animal welfare.

The EuroFAWC platform was created in 2006 to share and exchange information between the European members of the Animal Welfare Councils. Several international organisations, such as OIE and the European Commission, have observer status.

Around 25 international experts coming from Member Countries (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Sweden), Candidate Countries (The Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia) and EFTA countries (Norway) participated in the EuroFAWC annual meeting.

The event particularly focused on fish welfare. Within the scientific community, a broad debate is currently ongoing on the concepts of being sentient, pain-perceiving and pain “awareness”, even related to fish. Participants also dealt with the ethical challenges to be faced with reference to fish welfare, both in aquaculture and in marine sectors.

During the meeting, recommendations concerning welfare of sheltered dogs and animals import and management were also drafted.