Slaughterhouses

Draft Royal Decree establishing measures for the control of animal welfare in slaughterhouses through the installation of video surveillance systems

The purpose of this Royal Decree is to establish requirements for the installation of video surveillance systems in slaughterhouses, in order to make it a mandatory tool for operators and to assist competent authorities in ensuring compliance with animal welfare rules.

To this end, it establishes the areas of the slaughterhouse that must have video surveillance cameras, as well as the operating and maintenance conditions to be met by image recording systems. Cameras should be installed in areas where live animals are located, including discharge areas, as well as where stunning and bleeding activities are carried out to death.
In order to achieve this objective, it must be ensured that the installation and operation of video surveillance systems respect the privacy of persons performing their professional activity in slaughterhouses. For this purpose, the cameras will be installed only in the places justified to achieve their purpose and respect as much as possible the privacy of workers and other authorised personnel. The slaughterhouse operator must inform in writing of the installation of the video surveillance system to both slaughterhouse workers and all personnel who
are able to perform authorised tasks in the areas under surveillance.
The draft also establishes requirements to prevent the illegitimate use and dissemination of the recorded footage.