‘Halal’ Islamic slaughtering method. Clarification with regard to consumer protection and compatibility with animal welfare legislation.

Subject: ‘Halal’ Islamic slaughtering method. Clarification with regard to consumer protection and compatibility with animal welfare legislation.

Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union recognises animals as sentient beings and stipulates that when certain EU policies are framed and implemented, due regard must be paid to animal welfare requirements. In 2012, the Commission adopted the European Union Strategy for the Protection and Welfare of Animals (2012-2015), while Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009 governs, in particular, the protection of animals at the time of killing. Although that regulation provides for the killing of an animal only after it has been stunned, it also permits religious slaughter, such as halal slaughter, according to which ‘animals may be killed without prior stunning, provided that the slaughter takes place in a slaughterhouse’.

Can the Commission therefore answer the following questions:

1. Does it not think that the Islamic halal slaughter method, according to which the animal must remain conscious while its trachea and arteries are cut until it dies after fully bleeding to death, is fundamentally incompatible with current European animal welfare standards, which are among the highest in the world?

2. What measures has it taken, and will it take, to verify the labelling of halal meat in order to protect and safeguard consumers?

Answer given by Ms Kyriakides on behalf of the European Commission

(17 July 2021)

1. The EU legislation (1) allows slaughter without stunning in cases of slaughter methods prescribed by religious rites. The legislator provided this possibility in order to strike a balance between the protection of animal welfare and the freedom to manifest religion as enshrined in Article 10 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (2). The Member States’ competent authorities remain primarily responsible for the implementation of the EU legislation and may adopt stricter national rules for more extensive protection of animals at the time of killing, in accordance with the EU legislation (3). A ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union (4) confirmed that Member States have a certain margin of discretion in implementing the provisions related to slaughter without stunning, including labelling and other control measures.

2. Voluntary food information has to comply with Article 36 of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 (5), which provides that such information shall not mislead the consumer, not be ambiguous or confusing for the consumer and, where appropriate, be based on the relevant scientific data.

⋅1∙ Article 4 (4) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing (OJ L 303, 18.11.2009. p. 1).

⋅2∙ https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:12012P/TXT&from=EN

⋅3∙ Article 26 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing (OJ L 303, 18.11.2009. p. 1).

⋅4∙ Case C-336/19 Centraal Israëlitisch Consistorie van België e.a.

⋅5∙ Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, OJ L 304

22.11.2011, p. 18.