[Implementation of cross-compliance in the area of animal welfare]

Abstract

From 1 January 2007, requirements concerning animal welfare were introduced with effect to cross-compliance. Farmers receiving single payment as well as agri-environmental payments (payments of second pillar) shall respect the statutory management requirements of the following 3 directives in the area of animal welfare: Council Directive 91/629/EEC laying down minimum standards for the protection of calves; Council Directive 91/630/EEC laying down minimum standards for the protection of pigs; Council Directive 98/58/EC concerning the protection of animals kept for farming purposes. The competent authority shall carry out annual systematic inspections on at least 1% of all farmers submitting payments on the basis of a risk analysis and partly at random. In case of non-compliance with the conditions due to specific rules, there will be a reduction or cancellation of the payments to be granted in the calendar year in which non-compliance occurs. Cross-compliance controls should take place on the basis of documented procedures so as to ensure that these controls are carried out uniformly and are of a consistently high quality. For this purpose, a working group composed of representatives from the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection and from the Lander developed uniform control reports in order to monitor compliance and a guidance booklet for control execution of animal welfare requirements. In the control report (Level 1), the outcomes of inspections of all systematic testable animal welfare requirements are summarized in 6 items. Furthermore, the non-systematically testable requirements are integrated in the control report as a independent item. The guidance booklet (Level 2) with a matrix of validation serves as a specification for on-the-spot checks. Where appropriate, on-the-spot checks provided for cross-compliance and any other checks in animal welfare rules as well as requirements to animal identification and registration shall be carried out at the same time in Baden-Württemberg (integrated control system). Farmers subjected to on-the-spot checks shall be selected on the basis of a centralized common risk analysis and partly at random. This is the best way of safeguarding that the control rate will not be much higher than the established 1% with a minimum administrative burden and costs for farmers and competent control authorities. Integrated check lists for on-the-spot checks were established which take into account systematic cross compliance inspections to improve compliance with 3 existing standards in the area of animal welfare and official controls as proved in Council Directives concerning animal welfare and Regulation (EC) No 882/2004. All staff of the competent authorities performing controls received, for their area of competence, appropriate training enabling them to make their duties competently and to carry out controls in a consistent manner. Integrated systematic controls are very time-consuming and a burden for farmers and the competent authorities. For the beginning of this year, we will expect a discharge by Decision (EC) 2006/778. A controlling system was installed to ensure that cross compliance rules are applied consistently, for example by making subsequent controls by controlling institutions.