The Annual Report of the EFSA Networks on Animal Welfare 2022 was published on 15^th December 2022.  Among the tasks of EFSA is the establishment of a system of Networks of organisations operating in the fields within EFSA’s mission, in order to facilitate a scientific cooperation framework by the coordination of activities, the exchange of information, the development and implementation of joint projects, the exchange of expertise and best practices. The Animal Health and Welfare Network includes two subgroups: a subgroup specialised in Animal Welfare and a subgroup of the scientific National Contact Points (sNCPs) for scientific support.

In 2022, both Network subgroups met on 11th and 12th October 2022. The meetings were organised with a first joint session of the two subgroups on 11th October 2022. On 12th October 2022 the two subgroups met in independent sessions focused on their main topics: on-farm welfare in the case of the Animal Welfare Network, and the protection of animals at the time of killing for the sNCPs Network.

The report summarises the Network subgroup activities related to animal welfare risk assessment that were presented during the annual meeting of 2022. These included several mandates of EFSA in the context of the Farm to Fork strategy, amongst which were the following:

• A European Commission mandate for a scientific opinion on the protection of dairy cows was presented.
• An update on the draft scientific opinion on the welfare of calves was presented with examples of the husbandry systems that are assessed in the scientific opinion.

In addition, initiatives from Member States related to the protection of animals on farm, during transport and at the time of killing were presented.  There was also an exchange of information session among Animal Welfare Network members and plenary discussion with questions and answers which included the following topics:

• Dairy cows
• Tied cows
• Animal welfare of grass-fed animals

Source: EFSA Journal 2022;19(12): EN-7764

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2903/sp.efsa.2022.EN-7764

Date of Publication: 15^th December 2022