Introduction
On January 2024 the European Commission designated European Union Reference Centre for the welfare of aquatic animals (EURCAW-Aqua) (Commission Implementing Decision 2024/266) . The centre was launched in September 2024. This EURCAW has similar objectives and mandates of the three previous existing EURCAWs focused on the welfare of pigs; ruminants and equines; and poultry and small farmed animals. Reference Centres aim at improving the enforcement of the legislation on animal welfare. The lead of EURCAW-Aqua was awarded to a consortium composed by the University of Crete (Greece), the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences (Czech Republic), and the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (Spain).
Objectives and mandate
The objective of EURCAW-Aqua is to provide services to National Competent Authorities (NCAs) in Member States, addressing the main scope to improve the welfare of aquatic animals and the enforcement of the current legislation on animal welfare.
The EURCAW-Aqua will establish a portfolio of competitive services for the European Commission and National Competent Authorities (NCA) of EU member states, based on sound scientific knowledge and operational excellence.
The designation of the EURCAW-Aqua is a very important step to fulfil the gaps in scientific and technical knowledge regarding aquatic animals. EURCAW-Aqua is currently developing validated animal welfare indicators, welfare assessment methods and tools for the improvement of the welfare status of farmed aquatic animals (fish, cephalopods and decapods) in the EU. The EURCAW-Aqua is also providing technical support and advisory services, coordinating assistance to NCAs in carrying out official controls, and disseminating good practices, operating as an information and resources hub. EURCAW-Aqua provides the NCAs with access to case studies, research and scientific findings, technical data, novel welfare tools, techniques and technologies to improve on farm aquatic animals’ welfare assessment and the enforcement of the current animal welfare legislation and provides scientific evidence. The EURCAW-Aqua furthermore supports horizontal activities of the Commission and of the MS in the area of welfare requirements for aquatic animals. All relevant material will be publicly available through the Centre’s web page (https://www.eurcaw-aqua.eu/). EURCAW-Aqua provides workshops, training courses and training material both to civil servants, inspectors and officers working in EU institutions and NCAs of member states on a free of fee basis.
To cover the need for firsthand official information about the activities of the EURCAW-Aqua and to support the Centre with technical information, a Reflection Board (REB) was set up. The REB represents the farmed aquatic animals supply chain, relevant professional organisations, civil society organisations, and relative advisory councils and reference bodies of EU interest. The European Commission is invited as an observer. The REB meets annually and the exact composition of the REB is defined during in the first year of operation of EURCAW-Aqua.
To address ethical considerations in organizational conflict, an Ethics Committee was established. The role of the Ethics Committee is the establishment of ethical guidelines and a code of conduct for the staff and partners of the EURCAW-Aqua.
Structure
The EURCAW-Aqua is led by the University of Crete and has the following structure: a coordination team, a n Executive Committee and an Operational Team. The coordination Team has three representatives of each Consortium Institutions. T he Executive Committee includes the Coordination team members plus the Scientific coordinator and the Project Manager. The Operational Team includes experts in communication and organization devoted to the development of scientific and technical studies, the organization of training courses and the compilation of welfare indicators information.
Activities planned and performed so far
The activities of the centre involve the following areas: (1) Support and coordinated assistance to national and regional authorities, ( 2) Animal welfare indicators, methods for the assessment and methods of improvement, ( 3) Conducting thescientific and technical studies, 4) Organizing training activities , and (5) Disseminating research findings and innovation activities.
During the 2024 Work Programme the Centre produced the following studies : (1) a r egulatory f ramework r eview regarding live farmed farmed aquatic animals transport and harvest, (2) a list of relevant welfare indicators for common carp (Cyprinus carpio), and European sea bass (Dicentrarhus labrax ) during transport and at harvest, (3) an overall on-farm score for the evaluation of common carp welfare at transport and harvest, (4) a report on currently available welfare assessment systems for farmed fish , and (5) a blueprint for research to detect loss of consciousness and/or sensibility of fish at slaughter . These outputs are available on EURCAW Aqua portal. Three workshops have been organized during 2024 on specific subjects of interest for the NCAs. The first EURCAW-Aqua online workshop on rainbow trout welfare , was devoted to exploring welfare indicators and assessment methods for farmed rainbow trout. Attendants of NCA, particularly State Veterinary Inspectors, gained insights from leading experts in fish welfare, genetics, health, and behaviour. The second workshop was specifically designed for NCAs to provide targeted knowledge and practical tools for assessing and enhancing welfare in carp aquaculture, with a special focus on harvest, transport and slaughtering practices. The objective of the third workshop was to inform about the state of the art of the current advances and knowledge gaps on European seabass welfare, particularly in stunning and slaughter methods. Advances were reviewed in connection with the results of research projects (PerformFISH , MedAID , Cure4Aqua) as well from guidelines of institutional organisations (EFSA) and producer organisations that were contextualised in the current legislation framework. The Work Programme for the next programming period (2025-27) has been submitted, evaluated and approved by EU authorities.
References
Regulation of the European Parliament . https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/625/oj/eng
Eurcaw-Aqua. https://www.eurcaw-aqua.eu/
European Reference Centres for Animal Welfare. Regulation (EU) 2017/625 of the European Parliament and of the Council (notified under document C( 2024) 209. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/625/oj/eng
Strategic guidelines for a more sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture for the period 2021 to 2030. https://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC206189/