Miejsce dobrostanu zwierząt gospodarskich w polityce Unii Europejskiej
The Place of Farm Animal Welfare in the EU Policy

Summary/Abstract: Farm animal welfare (FAW) has become a key issue in the EU policy. With the simultaneous, dynamic intensification and concentration of livestock production, the European Union tries to strengthen the level of FAW as a factor that has a fundamental impact on the profitability of farms, the quality of life in rural areas, the state of public health, and in particular on environmental and climate protection. FAW, in line with the Farm to Fork Strategy, which is part of the European Green Deal, is an important element in the transformation of the EU’s agriculture towards a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system. Farm animal welfare also gains growing interest to the public in the EU, expecting a steady increase in the protection and welfare of farm animals. In this regard, the EU’s political and legal acquis concerning the FAW should be assessed, in particular the impact of financing livestock production under the CAP and its payments aimed at improving the FAW. The EU political initiatives to improve the welfare of farm animals also need to be analysed, especially those related to redirecting legislative actions to strengthening market-oriented motivation to raise the welfare standards of husbandry, breeding, transport and slaughtering of farm animals. A review of literature, official EU documents and legal acts leads to the conclusion that both the legal norms establishing the protection of farm animals and the method of financing livestock production contribute to the conflict between economic needs and social, environmental and climatic needs in the EU. Nowadays, this is a challenge faced by the European Union, that will require profound systemic changes to support the achievement of sustainability in livestock production, while enabling a real improvement in the FAW.

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