
Sole Article 
The actions referred to in the Annex are approved and shall be financed through the budget line 17 04 02 01 of the budget of the European Communities for 2007 up to a maximum of EUR 700 000.
Done at Brussels, 4 December 2007.
For the Commission
Markos KYPRIANOU
Member of the Commission
ANNEX

DomainFood safety, animal health and welfare and zootechnics.Legal basisDecision 90/424/EEC of 26 June 1990 on expenditure in the veterinary field.Political objectivesThe Community Action Plan on the Protection and Welfare of Animals 2006-2010 identified several areas of action in particular the upgrading of existing minimum standards for animal protection and welfare and introducing standardised animal welfare indicators. Concerning animal transport, advice from scientific experts indicates that new appropriate rules on travelling times and loading densities are needed. Commissioner Kyprianou therefore announced several times as during the Agriculture Council in October 2007 that the Commission is studying this question with the aim of proposing a revision of Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 in 2009.
As regards to animal welfare labelling, the Action Plan asks the Commission to submit a report on the possibility of a mandatory labelling scheme for chicken meat and meat products based on compliance with animal welfare standards and to report to the Council and the Parliament on the further application of measurable indicators in Community animal welfare legislation. Furthermore the Council invited the Commission in May 2007 to submit a report to the Council on animal welfare labelling in order to allow an in-depth debate on this subject. For these reasons it is necessary to submit a broader study on the impact of animal welfare labelling and on an Animal Welfare Reference Center which could serve as European coordinating body for the different initiatives related to animal welfare (standardisation/certification of welfare indicators, auditing schemes, databases related to existing certified labels).AssignmentsVarious types of studies and other services supporting the design and preparation of Commission proposals.
Studies and other services supporting the implementation of the Community Action Plan on the Protection and Welfare of Animals 2006-2010 have been scheduled for 2007, in particular for the preparation of impact assessments in relation to animal transport, slaughter and the preparation of a report on animal welfare labelling as requested by the Council.Appropriations 200717 04 02 01 — Other measures in the veterinary, animal welfare and public-health field: EUR 700 000.Number of specific actions plannedApproximately four.
All actions shall be governed by common public procurement rules and will be carried out through specific contracts under a framework contract. Specific contracts will be signed during the last quarter of 2007.
