1. New rural development plans: The hidden truth ANIMAL WELFARE
Des Maguire, DG Health and Consumers F2

2. Animal welfare payments to farmers
For farmers who on a voluntary basis undertake animal welfare commitments going beyond baseline (both national and EU).
Going beyond the mandatory standards.
Have a direct effect in improving animal welfare.
Are active farmers.
The current farming practice may be considered as a baseline but it must be proven that the commitments provide upgraded standardsAnimal welfare:
Article 33 Regulation 1305/2013
1. Animal welfare payments under this measure shall be granted to farmers who undertake, on a voluntary basis, to carry out operations consisting of one or more animal welfare commitments and who are active farmers within the meaning of Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013.
2. Animal welfare payments cover only those commitments going beyond the relevant mandatory standards established pursuant to Chapter I of Title VI of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 and other relevant mandatory requirements. These relevant requirements shall be identified in the programme. Those commitments shall be undertaken for a renewable period of one to seven years.
3. The payments shall be granted annually and shall compensate farmers for all or part of the additional costs and income foregone resulting from the commitment made. Where necessary, they may also cover transaction costs to the value of up to 20 % of the premium paid for the animal welfare commitments. Support shall be limited to the maximum amount laid down in Annex II.
4. In order to ensure that animal welfare commitments are in accordance with the overall Union policy in this field, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 83 concerning the definition of the areas in which animal welfare commitments are to provide upgraded standards of production methods.
Active farmers: Article 9 regulation 1307/2013
Preparation for future higher standards.

3. Eligible commitments
Compensate for all or part of the additional costs and income foregone in the following areas:
water, feed and animal care in accordance with the natural needs of animal husbandry;
housing conditions: increased space, flooring surfaces, enrichment materials, natural light;
outdoor access;
practices which avoid mutilation and/or castration of animals, or in specific cases when mutilation or castration of animals is deemed necessary, provide for the use of anaesthetics, analgesia and anti-inflammatory medication or immunocastration.
Absence of systematic mutilations, isolation or permanent tethering
Keeping conditions preventing pathologies mainly determined by farming practices or/and keeping conditions as well as aiming to reduce farm inputs e.g. disinfectants and antibiotics.
Drugs , vaccinations and other practices which increase the net economic benefit for farmer are not eligible under this measure.
Under animal welfare measure the following actions, that could help also in reducing tail docking, can be as follows:
• Providing more space. In this case, the farmer can get a payment calculated for income foregone related to the reduction of animals in the same space, as farmer cannot place anymore as many pigs as before
in the same place. The payment cannot cover the investments costs under animal welfare (investment costs for better buildings, allowing more space, can be supported under the investment measure.
• Enrichment materials: as they are important for stress reduction, the farmer can get a payment for providing enrichment material that goes beyond the legal obligatory standard. In this case it would mean a payment for providing a second type of enrichment, as enrichment as such is already a baseline in pig production.
• Outdoor access: as it is very important part of possible ways to reduce stress, a payment can be done for providing outdoor access. Then, the payment is calculated for additional cost (work) for turning out animals.

4. Payments Undertaken for a renewable period of 1 to 7 years.
Annual payments.
Can cover also transaction costs.
Max €500/LU.

5. Conditions for payments
Should help the farmer to combine higher costs with more resilient rearing methods.
The EU supported animal welfare commitments should improve the condition of livestock in a clearly measurable and controllable manner.
Should never replace proper care of livestock or keeping the livestock in good health.
It must be ensured that support under this measure is not paid for such operations or practices which are already applied.

6. Some examples: sows/pigs
Improving housing conditions for farrowing and lactating sows (increasing the area of the pens).
Daily outdoor access during 4 months/year or all year minimum 2 times a week.
Larger space per sow in group housing
Permanent enrichment material combined with new material added every day.

7. Some examples: cattle
Group housing for calves including upgraded bedding
Continuous supply of forage
Grazing minimum of 60 days a year and 2 times a week access to paddock all year round

8. Other RD measures favouring animal welfare
Investments: i.e. in buildings or installations favouring the welfare of animals, health equipment etc.
Advisory services, supporting farmers to learn and further develop their knowledge on animal welfare.
Training to improve the knowledge in view of increasing animal welfare.
Investment measure as laid down in Article 17
• Cover parts of investments costs to build better, more spacious, modern buildings or for example paddocks (allowing more movement) (construction, acquisition, including leasing, or improvement of immovable property);
Advisory services as laid down in Article 15
Under advisory services:
• Analysing the current animal welfare situation in the context of a particular farm (for example by vets): analysis on what should be done to implement animal welfare measure more efficiently.
Training as defined in Article 14 Under knowledge transfer measure:
• Workshops, training courses to inform farmers about the requirements and about the animal welfare measure.
• Coaching, farm visits

9. Funding Programmes
29 Rural Development Programmes have included animal welfare measures amounting to € 1.4 billion from EAFRD funds and € 2.2 billion of total public expenditure.
beneficiaries
The following MSs have included the measure in their programmes: Romania (€ 437 million), Finland, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, Sweden, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Greece, Spain, UK, Cyprus (3.7 million).
Measure not programmed: BE, DK, GR, HR, IE, LT, LU, LV, MT, NL, PL and PT

10. Thank you for your attention