protection of animals, farmed animal, pet animal, cattle, horses, donkeys and their cross-breeds, ratites, common ostriches, greater rheas, emus, rabbits

Draft Decree amending Decree No 208/2004 Coll. on minimum standards for the protection of livestock, as amended.

The draft Decree amending Decree No 208/2004 Coll. on minimum standards for the protection of livestock, as amended, introduces primarily the following changes:

- The minimum standards for the protection of cows are changed.The draft changes the requirement that the number of animals in open housing must not be greater than the number of stalls and the number of places in the feeding area, namely in stables with an automatic milking system.
- A provision on the protection of horses, donkeys and their cross-breeds intended for pet breeders is added.
- There is an adjustment of spatial conditions for raising ratites (i.e. common ostriches, greater rheas and emus) and adjustment of those provisions of the Decree, where practical experience indicated inconsistency with the original requirements.
- Section 13, which introduces minimum standards for the protection of rabbits kept as farm animals, was added.

The subject amendment to the Decree does not contain references to the national technical standards, technical documents or corporate standards, or to the European standards, harmonised standards or international standards containing a national annex or a national note or recommendation.
Decree No 208/2004 Coll. on minimum standards for the protection of livestock, as previously amended, contains transposition references to the European legislation:
Council Directive 93/119/EC of 22 December 1993 on the protection of animals at the time of slaughter or killing.
Council Directive 98/58/EC of 20 July 1998 concerning the protection of animals kept for farming purposes.
Council Directive 1999/74/EC of 19 July 1999 laying down minimum standards for the protection of laying hens.
Council Directive 2007/43/EC of 28 June 2007 laying down minimum rules for the protection of chickens kept for meat production.
Council Directive 2008/119/EC of 18 December 2008 laying down minimum standards for the protection of calves (codified version).
Council Directive 2008/120/EC of 18 December 2008 laying down minimum requirements for the protection of pigs (codified version).
Directive 93/119/EC.
Council Directive 2007/43/EC of 28 June 2007 laying down minimum rules for the protection of chickens kept for meat production.
The draft deletes references to the Council Directive 93/119/EC of 22 December 1993 on the protection of animals at the time of slaughter or killing.This Directive was repealed by the Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009 of 14 September 2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing, which is not transposed into the Decree on minimum standards for the protection of livestock.

Keywords: protection of animals, farmed animal, pet animal, cattle, horses, donkeys and their cross-breeds, ratites, common ostriches, greater rheas, emus, rabbits