Miljø- og Fødevareudvalget 2017-18
MOF Alm.del
Offentligt
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ANNEX
Response of the competent authorities of Denmark to the recommendations of report ref. DG(SANTE)/2017-6123-MR of the audit carried out from 09
October 2017 to 13 October 2017 in order to evaluate Member State activities to prevent tail-biting and avoid routine tail-docking of pigs
N°
1
Recommendation
The competent authority should provide inspectors with suitable
compliance criteria to enable them to effectively enforce legal
requirements of Council Directive 2008/120/EC and Council Directive
98/58/EC that are related to risk factors for tail-biting.
Conclusion 50. Findings 39, 45.
Action Proposed by the competent authority
The guideline for animal welfare controls in pig herds and/or the
guideline on enrichment material will be updated to include
compliance criteria for air quality, feeding space, and drinkers. It
will at the same time be considered, whether an update on the
compliance criteria concerning mixing of pigs, which are already
in the guideline, is appropriate. This update is expected to be
finalised during the first half of 2018.
An update of the guideline on animal welfare controls in pig herds
to include compliance criteria for staff will have to wait the
adoption of an order, which requires that the person responsible
for a pig herd of a certain size shall have relevant training. This
update is expected to be finalised during the second half of 2018.
2
The competent authority should provide inspectors with suitable
instructions and guidance to be enable them to enforce the provision on
the prevention of tail-biting and avoidance of
routine
tail-docking, as laid
down in the second paragraph of point 8 of Chapter I of Annex I of
Council Directive 2008/120/EC, including how they should assess
evidence of tail and ear lesions
on farmin the herd
and what constitutes
sufficient measures by farmers to change inadequate environmental
conditions or management systems before resorting to tail-docking of
pigs. This entails the development of measurable criteria to enable
inspectors to properly assess progress with regard to the risk factors listed
in the new DVFA guidelines on enrichment materials and the avoidance
of tail-docking.
Conclusion 51. Findings 39 and 44 to 46.
The risk factors with regard to tail biting, which are already
mentioned in the guideline on enrichment materials will be
expanded in order to provide inspectors with more in depth
compliance criteria. This will enable inspectors to better assess the
documentation/evidence given by the farmer of the need to tail-
dock, and also to better assess whether sufficient measures have
been taken before resorting to tail-docking. This update is
expected to be finalised during the first half of 2018.
Furthermore, an amendment of Danish legislation, which will
require farmers to carry out a risk assessment, according to
Commission Recommendation (EC) 2016/336, and also require
them to give written documentation hereof, is being considered. A
decision will be taken during the next few months, if the results is
that an order shall be issued, it is expected that the order will enter
into force on 1 January 2019.
Date: 08 February 2018
Page: 1
 MOF, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Endeligt svar på spørgsmål 343: Spm. om oversendelse af Kommissionens rapport fra besøget den 9.-13. oktober 2017, hvor Kommissionen evaluerede Danmarks praksis vedrørende halekupering, til miljø- og fødevareministeren
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ANNEX
Response of the competent authorities of Denmark to the recommendations of report ref. DG(SANTE)/2017-6123-MR of the audit carried out from 09
October 2017 to 13 October 2017 in order to evaluate Member State activities to prevent tail-biting and avoid routine tail-docking of pigs
N°
3
Recommendation
The competent authority should, as required by Article 3(a) of Regulation
882/2004, take account of identified risks such as the level of non-
compliance in
fattening
herds
with slaughter pigs
compared to
breedingsow
herds and post-mortem data on tail damage at slaughter to
further target
fattening farmsherds with slaughter pigs
and improve risk
factors for tail-biting on these premises.
Conclusion 51. Finding 46. Conclusion 52. Findings 47 to 49.
The competent authority should continue to work with private
veterinarians to maximise the impact of Veterinary Advisory Service
Contracts and ensure that priorities set in
farmherd
action plans support
farmers in their assessment of risk factors as well as other relevant data
related to the need for tail-docking, as required by point 8 of Chapter I of
Annex I of Council Directive 2008/120/EC.
Conclusion 31. Findings 24 to 26.
Action Proposed by the competent authority
Follow-up visits from the Veterinary Inspection Units will
continue in situations, where the findings during ante- or post
mortem inspections in slaughterhouses indicate that the welfare of
pigs may be seriously compromised. Furthermore, the possibility
to use post-mortem data as a risk parameter for the selection of
herds for inspection will be considered. However, there may be
certain legal constraints.
The working group with members from the pig sector, the DVA
and the DVFA continues its work in order to produce a risk
assessment tool for farmers and information material, which shall
make farmers, veterinarians and other consultants aware of the
need to perform a risk assessment before resorting to tail-docking.
We foresee a continued cooperation between farmers, the
practising veterinarian and/or other consultants with regard to the
risk assessment, but whether this could further involve the
Veterinary Advisory Service Contracts, will be decided during the
first half on 2018.
The recommendation is assumed not relevant for the Green
Development Programme, presently situated at the Environmental
Agency (formerly at the Agricultural Agency), as the Green
Development Programme does not fund new buildings or
renovations of existing buildings. The Green Development
Programme supports the building of new prototypes, hereof the
development of new stable concepts.
Regarding conclusion 35 and the recommendation: The Danish
Agricultural Agency (formerly Agrifish) will take the
recommendation concerning liaising with other Government
Agencies into consideration in those cases where the Agricultural
Agency gives project subsidies with EU financing. The Danish
Agricultural Agency is already collaborating with a range of other
authorities, in order to ensure compliance with other regulation.
4
5
The competent authority should consider liaising with other Government
Agencies responsible for funding new buildings where pigs are to be kept
and renovating existing ones with the assistance of European funding
under Article 17 of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 to ensure not only
that payments related to such facilities are suitable to commitments going
beyond the relevant mandatory standards where they are related to
animal welfare but that in general all funded facilities, as a minimum,
comply with relevant mandatory requirements (of Directives
2008/120/EC and 98/58/EC) including the avoidance of
routine
tail-
docking e.g. slurry systems that can handle optimal enrichment materials,
different temperature zones, suitable flooring, feeding, space allowances
etc.
Conclusions 35, 36. Findings 33, 34.
Date: 08 February 2018
Page: 2
 MOF, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Endeligt svar på spørgsmål 343: Spm. om oversendelse af Kommissionens rapport fra besøget den 9.-13. oktober 2017, hvor Kommissionen evaluerede Danmarks praksis vedrørende halekupering, til miljø- og fødevareministeren
ANNEX
Response of the competent authorities of Denmark to the recommendations of report ref. DG(SANTE)/2017-6123-MR of the audit carried out from 09
October 2017 to 13 October 2017 in order to evaluate Member State activities to prevent tail-biting and avoid routine tail-docking of pigs
Date: 08 February 2018
Page: 3