The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published a new editorial outlining the scientific needs it considers important for maintaining scientific excellence and regulatory readiness over the coming years. Among these priorities, EFSA identifies several areas for further development in animal welfare assessment and data collection.

EFSA calls for more proactive development, validation and standardisation of animal-based measures (ABMs) across species and production systems. It also highlights the need for common approaches and standardised protocols for collecting, measuring and implementing these measures across EU Member States.

The editorial points to the importance of moving beyond fragmented animal welfare datasets towards Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) data that can be routinely reported and used for welfare risk assessment. Examples of relevant data include information on husbandry systems, welfare outcomes, and slaughter and transport parameters.

EFSA also points to the role of the European Partnership for Animal Health and Welfare (EUPAH&W) in advancing EU capacity for animal welfare data harmonisation and collection. The aim is to improve access to evidence and support the development of scientific guidance.

The paper also identifies the development of new methods for animal welfare at transport and slaughter as an area of future scientific need.

Read the full editorial: EFSA needs for scientific excellence and regulatory readiness.