Date: 2021-05-10Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: Europe
Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/755 of 6 May 2021 designating a European Union reference centre for animal welfare for ruminants and equines in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council (notified under document C(2021) 3009) (Text with EEA relevance)
Issued by European Commission
· Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety
**Executive Summary:**
This Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/755 designates a European Union reference centre for animal welfare for ruminants and equines, in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/625. The designated consortium, led by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the Swedish Centre for Animal Welfare, will support the Commission and Member States in animal welfare. The designation will be reviewed every five years and this decision is effective from 1 June 2021.
**Key Points / Main Content:**
* **Designation of EU Reference Centre:**
* A consortium led by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the Swedish Centre for Animal Welfare is designated as the European Union reference centre for animal welfare for ruminants and equines.
* The centre will support horizontal activities of the Commission and Member States in the area of animal welfare requirements.
* **Responsibilities and Tasks:**
* The designated centre is responsible for tasks laid down in Article 96 of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 regarding ruminants and equines.
* It will support tasks included in the European Union reference centres annual or multiannual work programmes.
* **Review and Application:**
* The designation will be reviewed every five years.
* This Decision applies from 1 June 2021.
**Impact Analysis:**
**Member States:**
* *Impact:* The decision is addressed to the Member States, indicating they are subject to the provisions and must acknowledge the designated EU reference centre.
* *Action Required:* Acknowledge and cooperate with the designated EU reference centre in activities related to ruminant and equine welfare.
**European Commission:**
* *Impact:* The decision supports the Commission's horizontal activities in animal welfare.
* *Action Required:* Utilize the designated EU reference centre for support in animal welfare activities and ensure alignment with Commission work programs.
**Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the Swedish Centre for Animal Welfare (Consortium Lead):**
* *Impact:* Designated as the EU reference centre for animal welfare for ruminants and equines, holding responsibilities for supporting activities.
* *Action Required:* Prepare and implement work programs in conformity with objectives and priorities adopted by the Commission, and fulfill the tasks outlined in Article 96 of Regulation (EU) 2017/625.
**University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Austria, Ellinikos Georgikos Organismos-Dimitra Veterinary Research Institute Greece, the National Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment France, University College Dublin Ireland and the Instituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise G. Caporale Italy (Consortium Members):**
* *Impact:* As members of the designated consortium, these entities share responsibility in supporting activities related to ruminant and equine welfare.
* *Action Required:* Collaborate with the consortium lead (Swedish University) to prepare and implement work programs, and fulfill assigned tasks within the framework of the EU reference centre.
Key Entities Referenced
European Union: A political and economic union of member states located primarily in Europe.
European Commission: The executive branch of the European Union responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the EU treaties and managing the day-to-day business of the EU.
Regulation EU 2017/625: A regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on official controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products.
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences: A university in Sweden leading a consortium designated as the European Union reference centre for animal welfare.
Swedish Centre for Animal Welfare Sweden: An organization in Sweden, part of the consortium led by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Austria: A university in Austria, part of the consortium designated as the European Union reference centre for animal welfare.
University College Dublin Ireland: A university in Ireland, part of the consortium designated as the European Union reference centre for animal welfare.
Stella Kyriakides: Member of the European Commission.
10.5.2021 E N O f f i c i a l J o u r n a l o f t h e E u r o p e a n Union L 163/5
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2021/755
of 6 May 2021
designating a European Union reference centre for animal welfare for ruminants and equines in
accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council
(notified under document C(2021) 3009)
(Text with EEA relevance)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2017on official
controls and other official activities performed to ensure the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and
welfare, plant health and plant protection products, amending Regulations (EC) No 999/2001, (EC) No 396/2005, (EC)
No 1069/2009, (EC) No 1107/2009, (EU) No 1151/2012, (EU) No 652/2014, (EU) 2016/429 and (EU) 2016/2031 of the
European Parliament and of the Council, Council Regulations (EC) No 1/2005 and (EC) No 1099/2009 and Council
Directives 98/58/EC, 1999/74/EC, 2007/43/EC, 2008/119/EC and 2008/120/EC, and repealing Regulations (EC)
No 854/2004 and (EC) No 882/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Directives 89/608/EEC,
89/662/EEC, 90/425/EEC, 91/496/EEC, 96/23/EC, 96/93/EC and 97/78/EC and Council Decision 92/438/EEC (Official
Controls Regulation)(1), and in particular Article 95(1) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Regulation (EU) 2017/625 lays down rules for the performance of official controls and other official activities,
including for the selection and designation of European Union reference centres for animal welfare. European
Union reference centres for animal welfare support horizontal activities of the Commission and of the Member
States in the area of welfare requirements for animals, which is referred to in Article 1(2)(f) of Regulation (EU)
2017/625.
(2) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/329(2)designated a European Union reference centre for animal
welfare that, according to its work programme, focuses on pigs, and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU)
2019/1685(3)designated a European Union reference centre for animal welfare for poultry and other small farmed
animals.
(3) Subsequently, in accordance with Article 95 of Regulation (EU) 2017/625, the Commission carried out a public
selection process through a call for selection and designation of a European Union reference centre for animal
welfare for ruminants and equines.
(4) The evaluation and selection committee appointed for the selection process referred to in recital 3 concluded that the
consortium led by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the Swedish Centre for Animal Welfare
(Sweden), and also composed of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (Austria), Ellinikos Georgikos
Organismos-Dimitra/Veterinary Research Institute (Greece), the National Institute for Agriculture, Food, and
Environment (France), University College Dublin (Ireland) and the Instituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale
dell’Abruzzo e del Molise ‘G. Caporale’(Italy) (the consortium), complies with the requirements laid down in Article
95(3) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 and should be responsible for the tasks laid down in Article 96 of that
Regulation, as regards ruminants and equines.
(1) OJ L 95, 7.4.2017, p. 1.
(2) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/329 of 5 March 2018 designating a European Union Reference Centre for Animal
Welfare (OJ L 63, 6.3.2018, p. 13).
(3) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1685 of 4 October 2019 designating a European Union Reference Centre for
Animal Welfare for poultry and other small farmed animals (OJ L 258, 9.10.2019, p. 11).L 163/6 E N O f f i c i a l J o u r n a l o f t h e E u r o p e a n Union 10.5.2021
(5) The consortium should therefore be designated as the European Union reference centre for animal welfare for
ruminants and equines, which will be responsible for supporting tasks included in the European Union reference
centres’ annual or multiannual work programmes. These work programmes are required to be established in
conformity with the objectives and priorities of the relevant work programmes adopted by the Commission in
accordance with Article 36 of Regulation (EU) No 652/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council(4).
(6) Article 95(2)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/625 requires that the designation of a European Union reference centre for
animal welfare is to be limited in time or reviewed regularly. Therefore, the designation of the European Union
reference centre for animal welfare for ruminants and equines should be reviewed every five years.
(7) The designated European Union reference centre for animal welfare for ruminants and equines should be given time
to prepare its work programme for the next budgetary period. Therefore, this Decision should apply from 1 June
2021,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
1. The following consortium is hereby designated as the European Union reference centre for animal welfare responsible
for supporting horizontal activities of the Commission and of the Member States in the area of welfare requirements for
ruminants and equines:
Name: Consortium led by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the Swedish Centre for Animal
Welfare (Sweden), and also composed of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (Austria), the
Ellinikos Georgikos Organismos-Dimitra/Veterinary Research Institute (Greece), the National Institute for
Agriculture, Food, and Environment (France), the University College Dublin (Ireland) and the Instituto
Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise “G. Caporale”(Italy)
Address: P.O. Box 7068
750 07 Uppsala
SWEDEN
2. The designation shall be reviewed every five years from the date of application of this Decision.
Article 2
This Decision shall apply from 1 June 2021.
Article 3
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.
Done at Brussels, 6 May 2021.
For the Commission
Stella KYRIAKIDES
Member of the Commission
(4) Regulation (EU) No 652/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 laying down provisions for the
management of expenditure relating to the food chain, animal health and animal welfare, and relating to plant health and plant
reproductive material, amending Council Directives 98/56/EC, 2000/29/EC and 2008/90/EC, Regulations (EC) No 178/2002, (EC)
No 882/2004 and (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Directive 2009/128/EC of the European
Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing
Council Decisions 66/399/EEC, 76/894/EEC and 2009/470/EC (OJ L 189, 27.6.2014, p. 1).