Description of the EU Regulation requirements and main differences
According to the Regulation (EEC) 2092/91 livestock must have access to free-range areas. All mammals must have access to pasturage or an open-air exercise area / open-air run, and they shall have the possibility to use those areas whenever the physiological conditions of the animal, the weather conditions and the state of the ground permit, unless community or national requirements relating to specific animal health problems prevent this. Herbivores must have access to pasturage whenever conditions allow (Annex I B, 8.3.1.). Poultry must have access to an open-air run for at least one third of their life (Annex I B, 8.4.5). According to the Regulation (EEC) 2092/91 the Member States shall regulate the period in which poultry runs must be empty and they shall communicate their decision to the Commission and to the other Members States (Annex I B, 8.4.6). Details about the minimum livestock surface areas indoor and outdoors are found in Annex VIII.
The Codex Alimentarius generally requires free range conditions for all animals but also accepts that animals are confined temporarily for restricted time and for certain reasons. The IFOAM Basic Standards are identical to the Regulation (EEC) 2092/91 as regards access to free range areas in relation to the natural behaviour of animals. The US NOP requires that ruminants must have access to pasture, while access to outdoor areas is not clearly regulated for other animals. The national standards have a vast variety of different requirements for animal housing and free range areas. The main differences compared to the Regulation (EEC) 2092/91 concern the more specific rulings as regards the minimum days of access to the outdoors for ruminants or all animals on the farm. SE KRAV requires that grazing should constitute at least 50% of the dry matter for ruminants during the grazing season, while the CH Swiss Ordinance demands that ruminants are at pasture for at least 26 days per month during the vegetation period and for at least 13 days per month during the winter months. SI Biodar standards set the minimum days for access to the outdoors for all animals at 200 days per year distributed evenly throughout all the seasons. AT Bio Austria requires in addition to the requirements of the EU regulation a minimum access to pasture or open air exercise for all animals of at least 180 days per year, distributed throughout the year. DK Governmental Regulation set that herbivores and breeding pigs shall be on pasturage during the summer season.
Flock sizes and access to outdoor areas for poultry, whenever weather conditions allow, are defined in more detail by several private standards and one national (AT Bio Austria, CH Bio Suisse, CH Demeter, DE Bioland, DE Naturland, UK Soil Association and DK Governmental Regulation).
A lower flock size maximum for poultry than stated in the Regulation (EEC) 2092/91 has been set by CH Bio Suisse, DE Bioland, FR Governmental Regulation, FR Nature et Progrès and UK Soil Association (e.g. according to the Soil Association the flock size of chickens, ducks and guinea fowl is restricted to max. 500, and maximum 250 for turkey or geese; while the total number of animals is restricted to 2000 laying hens and 1000 units of other types of poultry).
Rationale for the differences
The justification for these differences was related to animal welfare reasons. In countries like Switzerland the livestock surface areas indoor and outdoor are the same as for other especially animal friendly outdoor systems, which get direct payments by the Federal government.
DIFFERENCES No. of diff.
Description of main differences Main differences on which level:
Main justification
MAIN AREAS Issues: Int. Nat.gov. Nat. priv.
Free range conditions
22 Livestock surface areas indoor and outdoors
=/- + ++ Animal welfare
Discussion of potential impact and conflict areas
Consumers/public perception:
Free-range is of consumer interest not only in relation to organic production but also with regard to animal production in general, because animal welfare is a high priority subject for many consumers. .The standards experts mentioned animal husbandry as being one of the most important areas of organic production; therefore regulations and standards should facilitate the natural behaviour of animals by setting more precise rules.
Trade implications:
Some national private standards have very distinct requirements concerning free-range conditions for animals. The flock size and specific requirements concerning the outdoor areas (in particular a lower minimal surface area per animal indoors and outdoors have a negative influence on the production costs and hereby on the competitiveness of the farmers.
Organic Principles:
As already mentioned in Chapter 5.5.5, standards experts often related animal welfare to the principle of fairness as well as to the principle of health. As a consequence, regular access to pastures and sufficient size of the indoor and outdoor areas are important.
Discussion of harmonisation, simplification and regionalisation potential
DIFFERENCES No. of diff.
Impact on/conflict with Potentials for
IN MAIN AREAS Cons Trade Org P Harm Simp Reg
Free range conditions/ livestock surface areas
Harmonisation:
The existing rules on free range areas in the Regulation (EEC) 2092/91are already very detailed. There may be a need for further harmonisation of the limits on flock size and the maximum number of chicken birds on a farm unit.
Simplification:
No clear indications for simplification could be extracted from the database.
Regionalisation:
The requirements for livestock surfaces indoor and for outdoor areas need a certain adaptation to regional climatic conditions, which should be taken into account.
Main conclusion for revision process of Regulation (EEC) 2092/91:
The requirements for livestock surface areas indoors and outdoors and access to outdoor need some flexibility as concerns the possibility to adapt to regional climatic conditions. More specific recommendations from the SAFO network final report should also be considered.
(www.safonetwork.org).