European Convention for the Protection of Animals kept for Farming Purposes

Next, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe requested the Committee of Ministers to draw up a farm animal welfare convention for general principles on housing animals in modern intensive farming systems, for which the committee established an ad hoc committee of experts from member states in 1971.

This eventually resulted in the European Convention for the Protection of Animals kept for Farming Purposes in 1976.

[2] In 1979 a Standing Committee was established to produce recommendations for specific species, such as cattle (1988), poultry (1986, 1995), pigs (1986, 2005), sheep and goats (1992), calves (1993), ratities (1993), ducks, geese and fur animals (1999).

Intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations (including the ISAE, WSPA, Eurogroup for Animals, the European Confederation of Agriculture and the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe) are invited to provide experts on applied ethology for consultation sessions, which are then used to develop new rules.

Parties to the Convention have to translate the recommendations into national legislation and European Union law.