FARM ANIMAL WELFARE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS AND TRADITIONAL PRACTICES: A CASE STUDY OF WELANIMAL PARTNER COUNTRIES
Keywords:
animal welfare, Central and South-Eastern Europe, WELANIMAL projectAbstract
According to the Amsterdam Treaty, animals are sentient creatures and animal
welfare requirements should be precisely met while preparing and implementing the
Commission laws. Accomplishing this, cultural, religious and regional
characteristics should be considered. However, more and more regulations and
laws are continuously introduced in Europe and worldwide. Ongoing WELANIMAL
Project was financed by EU Commission adapting of vocational training products
and results of training tools of WELFOOD related to the animal welfareenvironment-food quality interactions is being enriched with consideration of
cultural, socio-economic and religious approaches in order to determine a common
work definition for all sectorial workers having different moral and social values on
the subject of animal welfare and food safety Central and South-eastern Europe
region. Although there is slight differences, national legislation in partner countries
of EU in Project were harmonious with legal framework in EU regarding for all
farm species. It is expected that three draft regulations in compliance with legal
requirements animal protection in farms and during transportation and slaughtering
and killing in Turkey, as a candidate country to membership into EU, in 2009. Also,
due to in participating countries to the Project have ethnicity, history, tradition and
religious structure show a great diversity it has been guessed that welfare concept
which is a moral issue can be effected by people’s cultural, religious and social
composition. In the WELANIMAL Project, the effects of socio-cultural, religious and
regional historical differences of workers and consumers within animal production
chain on understanding of animal welfare concepts are being analysed.
Furthermore in the light of obtained data a common vocational animal welfare
definition and animal welfare, food quality and environment interaction will be evaluated. Through the Project web page (www.welanimal.aku.edu.tr) interactive
training and certification will be accomplished. This paper intents to provide an
overview of legal framework including Council Directives and National legislation
laying down minimum welfare standards and traditional practices in Central and
Sought eastern Europe in which WELANIMAL Project is ongoing.
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