About EURCAW Ruminants & Equines

The European Union Reference Centre for Animal Welfare (EURCAW) Ruminants & Equines is the third Centre designated by the European Commission (Official Controls Regulation 2017/625, Articles 95 & 96), established in May 2021. The remit of the EURCAW is to support the Competent Authorities in EU member states with the implementation of current regulations on animal welfare. The Centre provides scientific and technical expertise on the development and application of animal welfare indicators and methods of assessment of animal welfare to competent authorities and policy workers in animal welfare. EURCAW Ruminants & Equines covers a range of farm animal species including those used for dairy production (cows, goats, sheep, buffaloes), the production of meat by cattle, sheep, goats, deer and horses, and ruminants and equines kept for other purposes. The activities of the EURCAW Ruminants & Equines are set out in a work programme in consultation with the European Commission. The work programme for 2025-2027 is available here. 

EURCAW Ruminants & Equines is functioning on the basis of EU ethical principles and rules, namely equality, diversity and inclusion. In order to support an environment that promotes respect, inclusivity, and fairness the Centre has adopted a Code of Conduct, to uphold respectful and inclusive behaviour regarding protected characteristics in meetings (physical and online) and communication platforms, and is applicable to all participants. Furthermore, EURCAW Ruminants & Equines in collaboration with EURCAW Pigs, EURCAW Poultry & Small Farmed Animals and EURCAW Aqua have established a Conflict of Interest procedure. Members of the EURCAWs and external experts are required to complete and and submit a Declaration of Interest form on an annual basis to the Secretariat.

The EURCAW Ruminants & Equines is a partnership of six organisations, coordinated by Professor Jens Malmkvist, Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences (SLU). Partners are Lena Tuominen and Birgitta Staaf Larsson (Swedish Centre for Animal Welfare, SLU), Professor Christoph Winckler (BOKU, Austria), Dr Isabelle Veissier (INRAE, France), Dr Evangelia Sossidou (ELGO-DIMITRA, Veterinary Research Institute, Greece), Dr Silvia D’Albenzio (IZSAM, Italy) and Professor Alison Hanlon (UCD, Ireland). Scientific and technical experts from each partner country further support the activities of EURCAW Ruminants & Equines.

Services & Activities

EURCAW Ruminants & Equines provides scientific and technical knowledge to Competent Authorities of EU member states and their support bodies, for the official controls on ruminant and equine welfare requirements laid down in European Union animal welfare legislation.

It has 5 main areas of activity:

  1. Coordinated assistance
  2. Animal welfare indicators, methods for assessment and improvement
  3. Scientific and technical studies
  4. Training courses
  5. Disseminating research findings and innovations

Detailed understanding of ruminant & equine welfare issues

For detailed understanding of ruminant & equine welfare issues on-farm, during transport and at slaughter:

  • EURCAW Ruminants & Equines offers easy access to scientific knowledge for Competent Authorities and their support bodies via the Questions to EURCAW (Q2E) service.
  • EURCAW Ruminants & Equines compiles dossiers on welfare topics containing review documents, thematic and indicator factsheets, which summarise the latest scientific and practical knowledge
  • EURCAW Ruminants & Equines provides a knowledge base (library) with a search engine for finding scientific, legal and technical documents and other resources on ruminant and equine welfare issues

Verification of compliance

For verification of compliance with European Union animal welfare legislation:

  • EURCAW Ruminants & Equines prepares factsheets on specified welfare topics, providing ruminant and equine welfare indicators, predominantly including animal-based indicators, but also management- and resource-based indicators
  • EURCAW Ruminants & Equines identifies iceberg indicators that can be used by official inspectors to obtain a quick overview on possible welfare problems on farm, during transport, and at abattoirs

Training and education

For further professional training and education:

  • EURCAW Ruminants & Equines has created a Training Needs Analysis Platform (TraNAP) to identify knowledge and skills gaps to support the Competent Authorities, policy workers and their support bodies with the implementation of EU animal welfare legislation
  • EURCAW Ruminants & Equines collates training activities and materials used in the Member States
  • EURCAW Ruminants & Equines develops minimum (quality) standards for training activities on ruminant & equine welfare in husbandry, transport and slaughter