Equine Welfare: Toward Legislation Tailored to Horses, Donkeys, and Mules in Europe

With an annual turnover of 100 billion euros, the European equine sector is thriving. However, the same cannot be said for all seven million equines, which are unevenly distributed across the European Union. While the living conditions of horses, donkeys, and mules in Europe vary greatly from country to country, animal welfare issues are often similar. In half of the 28 member states, animal protection associations report inappropriate housing conditions. At the Commission’s request, the Eurogroup for Animals and World Horse Welfare have published the first sector-wide investigative report*. The two organizations, which presented their findings in Strasbourg, call—among other recommendations—for the adoption of specific standards to protect horses, donkeys, and mules, which often fall through the cracks of legislation designed for Livestock or pets.   France, with more than 800,000 equines, has the largest population, ahead of the United Kingdom, Romania, and Spain. However, Belgium has the highest number of equines per person (one per 21 residents), while at the other end of the spectrum, Slovakia has only one per 1,000 residents. Equines, which are particularly versatile and adaptable, transition from being pets or recreational animals to playing roles in tourism, agriculture, food production, and sports—even rising to the status of elite athletes. More than any other species, they can thus change roles and owners several times over the course of their relatively long lives. Furthermore, they generate no fewer than 896,000 jobs in Europe. All this information—particularly regarding the equine population in each Member State—was difficult to gather, as many countries are unable to provide reliable figures. Although legislation on equine identification has been in effect in the EU for over a decade, it is clear that the system has room for improvement. Consequently, faced with an industry that suffers from an alarming lack of information and raises many unanswered questions, the European Commission has identified five specific areas of concern to address: equine identification and registration, welfare during transport, welfare at slaughter, responsible ownership, and rural development. The new report, published on June 6, is a first step toward addressing these gaps and tackling these concerns head-on, with the aim of mapping out the sector, its laws, and its health and welfare issues in Europe. It thus provides clear recommendations on how these animals can be better protected, for the sake of animal health as well as the European economy. In particular, the report highlights the real need for harmonized protection of equines in Europe through specific legislation, as well as the dissemination of guidance and best practices to encourage responsible ownership. Their living conditions are too often inadequate, due to a lack of space, interaction with other horses, knowledge of their needs, veterinary care, appropriate harnesses, or simply due to neglect. This report, which provides a five-year roadmap, will serve as an important basis for discussion with EU stakeholders. It is up to the Commission to take measures to address the concerns raised and to meet the challenge of protecting equines. The standing, influence, and position of the European equine industry are at stake. * Removing the Blinkers: The Health and Welfare of European Equidae in 2015  

Key Recommendations of the Report

The Food and Veterinary Office should:

• conduct regular unannounced inspections of EU-certified slaughterhouses and cutting plants in third countries, and include checks on other parts of the production chain during these missions.  

The European Commission should:

• commission a Eurostat study to analyze the economic and social impacts of all aspects of the equine industry; make information from the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) database available to the public with less delay than is currently the case;
• adopt a single definition to clarify which species are considered equines in order to make the legislation more relevant;
• amend the scope of the exemption for registered equines (Regulation (EC) No. 1/2005 on animal protection during transport and related operations) to include the requirement to provide proof of the purpose of the journey when it exceeds 8 hours;
• allow the competent authorities to drastically streamline the number of passports issued by issuing bodies within the 28 Member States;
• issue proposals to replace Directive 98/58/EC (on the animal protection for farming purposes) with legislation on the specific equine welfare, allowing for greater harmonization among Member States and the creation of a common framework to support the functioning of the single market;
• ensure independent video surveillance in slaughterhouses that process equines;
• extend the labeling rules set forth in Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers of horse meat;
• actively support the development of guides to good practices to increase compliance and consistency in measures, for example by allocating resources to translate these documents and assist in their distribution;
• support the production and dissemination of information on how to meet the needs of equines, and consider expanding educational resources on animal welfare on the farm to include equine welfare;
• ensure that animal health, animal welfare, and traceability are included in all trade negotiations and authorize the import of horse meat only from third countries whose animal welfare, health, and food safety standards are compatible with those of the Union;
• initiate infringement proceedings when violations of animal health and animal welfare legislation are discovered and are not promptly corrected by the competent authorities;
• ensure that third-country standards regarding the administration of medications that may be harmful to human health are harmonized with those of the Union where products of animal origin are to be imported.  

 The competent authorities should:

• clarify the legislation regarding equines classified as “semi-wild” (those owned by someone) and those without a natural person who can act as an owner, in order to clarify what distinguishes these two types of equines and who is responsible for their welfare and health;
• investigate inhumane practices during euthanasia, such as the inappropriate use of drugs like T-61 without sedation;
• always ensure that the specific needs of equines are taken into account when developing animal welfare policies, rather than assuming they will be covered by general regulations pertaining to either livestock or pets;
• ensure that slaughterhouses authorized to handle equines are capable of meeting the equine welfare needs of these animals, both in terms of facilities and staff training;
• consider self-monitoring mechanisms—while recognizing their usefulness—as enhancements to welfare legislation rather than as alternatives;
• ensure that they allow for sufficient flexibility regarding the penalties set when implementing EU regulations to enable deterrent sanctions, regardless of the country concerned.

 

The European Commission and the competent authorities should:

• take urgent measures to address shortcomings in the registration and traceability of equines;
• allow for differing approaches to equines among Member States in their communication plans regarding Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/262, which concerns identification methods;
• include working equines in agricultural and tourism policy by supporting the development of animal welfare standards and imposing penalties for non-compliance;
• promote information to help tourists make choices that respect animal welfare when deciding whether or not to use the services of working equines;
• ensure that they are aware of emerging sectors within the equine industry, for which regulation may be necessary to ensure animal protection and consumer safety.

Organizations in the equine sector should:

• encourage equine owners to take steps to prevent welfare issues at the end of an animal’s life or career, as part of promoting responsible ownership;
• give equine welfare in sports and recreation the same priority as rider safety and a higher priority than other considerations.