(ETS no. 102)
Strasbourg, 10.V.1979
The member States of the Council of Europe, signatory hereto,
Considering that it is desirable to ensure the protection of animals which are to be
slaughtered;
Considering that slaughter methods which as far as possible spare animals suffering and
pain should be uniformly applied in their countries;
Considering that fear, distress, suffering and pain inflicted on an animal during
slaughter may affect the quality of the meat,
Have agreed as follows:
Chapter 1 – General principles
Article 1
- This Convention shall apply to the movement, lairaging, restraint, stunning and
slaughter of domestic solipeds, ruminants, pigs, rabbits and poultry.
- For the purpose of this Convention:
Slaughterhouse: shall mean any premises under health control, intended for the
professional slaughter of animals to produce meat for consumption or for any other reason;
Moving animals: shall mean unloading or driving them from unloading platforms or
from stalls or pens at slaughterhouses to the premises or place where they are to be
slaughtered;
Lairaging: shall mean keeping animals in stalls, pens or covered areas at
slaughterhouses in order to give them the necessary attention (water, fodder, rest) before
they are slaughtered;
Restraint: shall mean the application to an animal of any procedure in conformity
with the provisions of this Convention designed to restrict its movements in order to
facilitate stunning or slaughter;
Stunning: shall mean any process in conformity with the provisions of this
Convention, which when applied to an animal induces a state of insensibility which lasts
until it is dead, thus sparing it in any event any avoidable suffering;
Slaughter: shall mean causing the death of an animal after restraint, stunning and
bleeding with the exceptions provided for in Chapter III of this Convention.
Article 2
- Each Contracting Party shall take the necessary steps to ensure the implementation of
the provisions of this Convention.
- Nothing in this Convention shall, however, prevent Contracting Parties from adopting
more stringent rules to protect animals.
- Each Contracting Party shall ensure that the design, construction and facilities of
slaughterhouses and their operation shall be such as to ensure that the appropriate
conditions provided for in this Convention are complied with in order to spare animals any
avoidable excitement, pain or suffering.
- For slaughtering outside or inside slaughterhouses each Contracting Party shall ensure
that the animals are spared any avoidable pain or suffering.
Chapter II – Delivery of animals to slaughterhouses and their
lairaging until they are slaughtered
Article 3
- Animals shall be unloaded as soon as possible. While waiting in the means of transport
they shall be protected from extremes of weather and provided with adequate ventilation.
- The personnel responsible for moving and lairaging such animals shall have the knowledge
and skills required and shall comply with the requirements set out in this Convention.
Section I – The moving of animals within the precincts of
slaughterhouses
Article 4
- The animals shall be unloaded and moved with care.
- Suitable equipment such as bridges, ramps, or gangways, shall be used for unloading
animals. The equipment shall be constructed with flooring which will permit a proper
foothold and, if necessary, shall be provided with lateral protection. Bridges, ramps and
gangways shall have the minimum possible incline.
- The animals shall not be frightened or excited. In any event care must be taken to
ensure that animals are not overturned on bridges, ramps or gangways and that they cannot
fall from them. In particular animals shall not be lifted by the head, feet or tail in a
manner which will cause them pain or suffering.
- When necessary, animals shall be led individually. Corridors along which they are moved
must be so designed that they cannot injure themselves.
Article 5
- When animals are moved their gregarious tendencies shall be exploited. Instruments shall
be used solely to guide them and must only be used for short periods. In particular, they
shall not be struck on, nor shall pressure be applied to, any particularly sensitive part
of the body. Electric shocks may be used for bovine animals and pigs only, provided that
the shocks last no more than two seconds, are adequately spaced out and the animals have
room to move; such shocks shall be applied only to appropriate muscles.
- Animals' tails shall not be crushed, twisted or broken and their eyes shall not be
grasped. Blows and kicks shall not be inflicted.
- Cages, baskets or crates in which animals are transported shall be handled with care.
They shall not be thrown to the ground or knocked over.
- Animals delivered in cages, baskets or crates with flexible or perforated bottoms shall
be unloaded with particular care in order to avoid injuring the animals' extremities.
Where appropriate they shall be unloaded individually.
Article 6
- Animals shall not be taken to the place of slaughter unless they can be slaughtered
immediately.
- Animals which are not slaughtered immediately on arrival shall be lairaged.
Section II – Lairaging
Article 7
- Animals shall be protected from unfavourable climatic conditions. Slaughterhouses shall
be equipped with a sufficient number of stalls and pens for lairaging of the animals with
protection from the effects of adverse weather.
- The floor of areas where animals are unloaded, moved, kept waiting or temporarily based,
shall not be slippery. It shall be such that it can be cleaned, disinfected and thoroughly
drained of liquids.
- Slaughterhouses shall have covered areas with feeding and drinking troughs and
arrangements for tying up animals.
- Animals which must spend the night at the slaughterhouse shall be so housed and, when
appropriate, tied up in such a way that they may lie down.
- Animals naturally hostile to each other on account of their species, sex, age or origin
shall be separated from each other.
- Animals which have been transported in cages, baskets or crates shall be slaughtered as
soon as possible; otherwise they shall be watered and fed in accordance with the
provisions of Article 8.
- If animals have been subjected to high temperatures in humid weather, they shall be
cooled.
- Where climatic conditions make it necessary (e.g. high humidity, low temperatures),
animals shall be placed in well-ventilated accommodation. During foddering the stalls
shall be adequately lit.
Section III – Care
Article 8
- Unless they are conducted as soon as possible to the place of slaughter, animals shall
be offered water on arrival in the slaughterhouse.
- With the exception of animals to be slaughtered within twelve hours of their arrival,
they shall subsequently be given moderate quantities of food and water at appropriate
intervals.
- Where animals are not tied up, feeding receptacles shall be provided which will permit
the animals to feed undisturbed.
Article 9
- The condition and state of health of the animals shall be inspected at least every
morning and evening.
- Sick, weak or injured animals shall be slaughtered immediately. If this is not possible,
they shall be separated in order to be slaughtered as soon as possible.
Section IV – Other provisions
Article 10
In respect of reindeer, each Contracting Party may authorise derogations from the
provisions of Chapter II of this Convention.
Article 11
Each Contracting Party may prescribe that the provisions of Chapter II of this
Convention shall be applied mutatis mutandis to moving and lairaging of animals
outside slaughterhouses.
Chapter III – Slaughtering
Article 12
Animals shall be restrained where necessary immediately before slaughtering and, with
the exceptions set out in Article 17, shall be stunned by an appropriate method.
Article 13
In the case of the ritual slaughter of animals of the bovine species, they shall be
restrained before slaughter by mechanical means designed to spare them all avoidable pain,
suffering, agitation, injury or contusions.
Article 14
No means of restraint causing avoidable suffering shall be used; animals' hind legs
shall not be tied nor shall they be suspended before stunning or, in the case of ritual
slaughter, before the end of bleeding. Poultry and rabbits may, however, be suspended for
slaughtering provided that stunning takes place directly after suspension.
Article 15
Other slaughter operations than those mentioned in Article 1, paragraph 2 may commence
only after the animal's death.
Article 16
- The stunning methods authorised by each Contracting Party shall bring animals into a
state of insensibility which lasts until they are slaughtered, thus sparing them in any
event all avoidable suffering.
- Use of the puntilla, hammer or pole-axe shall be prohibited.
- In the case of solipeds, ruminants and pigs, only the following stunning methods shall
be permitted:
- mechanical means employing instruments which administer a blow or penetrate at the level
of the brain;
- electro-narcosis;
- gas anaesthesia.
- Each Contracting Party may authorise derogations from the provisions of paragraphs 2 and
3 of this Article in the case of slaughter of an animal at the place where it was reared
by the producer for his personal consumption.
Article 17
- Each Contracting Party may authorise derogations from the provisions concerning prior
stunning in the following cases:
- slaughtering in accordance with religious rituals;
- emergency slaughtering when stunning is not possible;
- slaughtering of poultry and rabbits by authorised methods causing instantaneous death;
- killing of animals for the purposes of health control where special reasons make this
necessary.
- Each Contracting Party availing itself of the provisions of paragraph 1 of this Article
shall, however, ensure that at the time of such slaughter or killing the animals are
spared any avoidable pain or suffering.
Article 18
- Each Contracting Party shall make certain of the skill of persons who are professionally
engaged in the restraint, stunning and slaughter of animals.
- Each Contracting Party shall ensure that the instruments, apparatus or installations
necessary for the restraint and stunning of animals comply with the requirements of the
Convention.
Article 19
Each Contracting Party permitting slaughter in accordance with religious ritual shall
ensure, when it does not itself issue the necessary authorisations, that animal
sacrificers are duly authorised by the religious bodies concerned.
Chapter IV – Final provisions
Article 20
- This Convention shall be open to signature by the member States of the Council of Europe
and by the European Economic Community. It shall be subject to ratification, acceptance or
approval. Instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval shall be deposited with the
Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
- This Convention shall enter into force six months after the date of the deposit of the
fourth instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval by a member State of the Council
of Europe.
- In respect of a signatory party ratifying, accepting or approving after the date
referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article, the Convention shall come into force six
months after the date of the deposit of its instrument of ratification, acceptance or
approval.
Article 21
- After the entry into force of this Convention, the Committee of Ministers of the Council
of Europe may, upon such terms and conditions as it deems appropriate, invite any
non-member State to accede thereto.
- Such accession shall be effected by depositing with the Secretary General of the Council
of Europe an instrument of accession which shall take effect six months after the date of
its deposit.
Article 22
- Any State may, at the time of signature or when depositing its instrument of
ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, specify the territory or territories to
which this Convention shall apply.
- Any State may, when depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or
accession or at any later date, by declaration addressed to the Secretary General of the
Council of Europe, extend this Convention to any other territory or territories specified
in the declaration and for whose international relations it is responsible or on whose
behalf it is authorised to give undertakings.
- Any declaration made in pursuance of the preceding paragraph may, in respect of any
territory mentioned in such declaration, be withdrawn by means of a notification addressed
to the Secretary General. Such withdrawal shall take effect six months after the date of
receipt by the Secretary General of such notification.
Article 23
- Any Contracting Party may, in so far as it is concerned, denounce this Convention by
means of a notification addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
- Such denunciation shall take effect six months after the date of receipt by the
Secretary General of such notification.
Article 24
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe shall notify the member States of the
Council and any Contracting Party not a member of the Council of:
- any signature;
- any deposit of an instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession;
- any date of entry into force of this Convention in accordance with Articles 20 and 21
thereof;
- any declaration received in pursuance of the provisions of Article 22, paragraph 2;
- any notification received in pursuance of the provisions of Article 22, paragraph 3;
- any notification received in pursuance of the provisions of Article 23 and the date on
which denunciation takes effect.
In witness whereof the undersigned, being duly authorised thereto, have signed this
Convention.
Done at Strasbourg, this 10th day of May 1979, in English and in French, both texts being
equally authoritative, in a single copy which shall remain deposited in the archives of
the Council of Europe. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe shall transmit
certified copies to each of the signatory and acceding Parties.
Совет Европы. Бюро договоров на
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