A European Commission training workshop on animal welfare standards takes place on 15-19 October in Zagreb, Croatia. The workshop is part of the Commission Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-General's Better Training for Safer Food initiative. The training focuses specifically on the welfare of animals at slaughter and in killing for disease control purposes.

Approximately 100 participants are expected to attend the workshop. These will be mainly official veterinarians responsible for verifying compliance with welfare standards in slaughterhouses and disease control situations. Most participants will come from EU Member States, candidate and associated countries and selected third countries.

The training aims to improve participants' awareness of relevant EU legislation and international norms as well as the scientific principles behind EU animal welfare standards. Participants should also gain greater knowledge of stunning and killing techniques used in slaughterhouses and for disease control and procedures for monitoring compliance with welfare requirements.

International experts
Tuition at the workshop is provided by international experts in the field coming from various EU Member States, the European Commission and other European and international organisations.

The first two days of the workshop are taken up by presentations followed by discussion. Simulation exercises on auditing of slaughterhouses and measures to be taken in the context of disease outbreaks take place on the second two days. The final day focuses mainly on the outcomes of the exercises, discussion and final conclusions and recommendations.

This is the only Better Training for Safer Food workshop on animal welfare standards to run during 2007. However, this programme is set to expand considerably in 2008. Training on welfare at slaughter will continue and the programme will also include training on welfare standards during transport.