The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food (MAPA) has opened a public hearing period for the draft Royal Decree amending Royal Decree 1135/2002, regarding minimum standards for the protection of pigs on livestock farms.
Interested parties may submit submissions until April 9, 2025, via the email address provided by the Ministry.
This information has been disseminated by specialized media outlets in the sector, such as Revista Cárnica and Eurocarne.
Purpose of the Amendment
The main objective of this regulatory update is to adapt animal welfare conditions on pig farms, establishing new classification categories based on animal handling, especially in relation to the practice of tail docking, which is intended to be progressively reduced.
New Farm Categories
The draft decree establishes three types of pig farms:
Type 1: Farms where all pigs have their tails intact. No tail-docking is permitted.
Type 2: Farms with tail-docking animals that implement measures to reduce this practice.
Type 3: Other farms.
This classification will be associated with differences in permitted housing densities, with greater requirements for those farms that still practice tail-docking.
Additional Requirements for Higher Densities
Farms wishing to operate at higher densities must meet a series of additional conditions to ensure a higher level of animal welfare:
- Environmental control (temperature, air quality, ventilation).
- Periodic veterinary supervision.
- Reduction in the use of antibiotics in line with animal health objectives.
- Use of enrichment materials that promote natural animal behavior.
- How to Submit Comments
Comments should be sent to the following email address:
📩 bzn-bienestaranimal@mapa.es
Comments should be sent in a Word document, which can be downloaded from the Ministry’s website, including the reference: RD_modif_RD1135_2002 in the subject line.
🗓 The deadline is April 9, 2025. Once all contributions have been collected, the Government will assess their inclusion in the final regulatory text.
🔽 At this link, you will find the draft of the Royal Decree for direct consultation.
