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OPERATIONAL RULES FOR SLAUGHTERHOUSES (as referred to in Article 15) 1. The arrival, moving and handling of animals 1.1. The welfare conditions of each consignment of animals shall be systematically assessed by the animal welfare officer or a person reporting directly to the animal welfare officer upon arrival in order to identify the priorities, in particular by determining which animals have specific welfare needs and the corresponding measures to be taken.

1.2. Animals shall be unloaded as quickly as possible after arrival and subsequently slaughtered without undue delay. Mammals, except rabbits and hares, which are not taken directly upon arrival to the place of slaughter, shall be lairaged. Animals which have not been slaughtered within 12 hours of their arrival shall be fed, and subsequently given moderate amounts of food at appropriate intervals. In such cases, the animals shall be provided an appropriate amount of bedding or equivalent material which guarantees a level of comfort appropriate to the species and the number of animals concerned. This material shall guarantee an efficient drainage or ensure adequate absorption of urine and faeces.

1.3. Containers in which animals are transported shall be kept in good order, handled with care, in particular if they have a perforated or flexible bottom, and:

(a) shall not be thrown, dropped, or knocked over;

(b) where possible, shall be loaded and unloaded horizontally and mechanically; Whenever possible animals shall be unloaded individually.

1.4. When containers are put one on top of the other, the necessary precautions shall be taken:

(a) to limit urine and faeces falling on the animals placed underneath;

(b) to ensure stability of the containers;

(c) to ensure that ventilation is not impeded.

1.5. For the purpose of slaughter, unweaned animals, lactating dairy animals, females having given birth during the journey or animals delivered in containers shall be given priority over other types of animal. If this is not possible, arrangements shall be made so as to relieve them from their suffering, in particular by:

(a) milking dairy animals at intervals of not more than 12 hours;

(b) providing appropriate conditions for suckling and the welfare of the newborn animal in the case of a female having given birth;

(c) providing water in the case of animals delivered in containers.

1.6. Mammals, except rabbits and hares, which are not taken directly to the place of slaughter after being unloaded, shall have drinking water available to them from appropriate facilities at all times.

1.7. A steady supply of animals for stunning and killing shall be ensured in order to prevent animal handlers rushing animals from the holding pens.

1.8. It shall be prohibited to:

(a) strike or kick the animals;

(b) apply pressure to any particularly sensitive part of the body in such a way as to cause animals avoidable pain or suffering;

(c) lift or drag the animals by the head, ears, horns, legs, tail or fleece, or handle them in such a way as to cause them pain or suffering; however, the prohibition on lifting animals by their legs shall not apply to poultry, rabbits and hares;

(d) use prods or other implements with pointed ends;

(e) twist, crush or break the tails of animals or grasp the eyes of any animal.

1.9. The use of instruments which administer electric shocks shall be avoided as far as possible. In any case, such instruments shall only be used for adult bovine animals and adult pigs which refuse to move, and only when they have room ahead of them in which to move. The shocks shall last no longer than one second, be adequately spaced and shall only be applied to the muscles of the hindquarters. Shocks shall not be used repeatedly if the animal fails to respond.

1.10. Animals shall not be tied by the horns, antlers or nose rings and their legs shall not be tied together. When animals need to be tied, ropes, tethers or other means used shall be:

(a) strong enough not to break;

(b) such as to allow the animals, if necessary, to lie down and to eat and drink;

(c) designed in such a way as to eliminate any danger of strangulation or injury, and so as to allow animals to be quickly released.

1.11. Animals which are unable to walk shall not be dragged to the place of slaughter, but shall be killed where they lie.

2. Additional rules for mammals in lairage (except for rabbits and hares)

2.1. Each animal shall have enough space to stand up, lie down and, except for cattle kept individually, turn around.

2.2. Animals shall be kept securely in the lairage and care shall be taken to prevent them from escaping and to protect them from predators.

2.3. For each pen it shall be indicated with a visible sign the date and time of arrival and, except for cattle kept individually, the maximum number of animals to be kept.

2.4. Every day that the slaughterhouse operates, before any animal arrives, isolation pens for animals that require specific care shall be prepared and kept ready for immediate use.

2.5. The condition and state of health of the animals in a lairage shall be regularly inspected by the animal welfare officer or a person having appropriate competence.

3. Bleeding of animals 3.1. Where one person is responsible for the stunning, shackling, hoisting and bleeding of animals, that person shall carry out all those operations consecutively on one animal before carrying out any of them on another animal.

3.2. In case of simple stunning or slaughter in accordance with Article 4(4), the two carotid arteries or the vessels from which they arise shall be systematically severed. Electrical stimulation shall only be performed once the unconsciousness of the animal has been verified. Further dressing or scalding shall only be performed once the absence of signs of life of the animal has been verified.

3.3. Birds shall not be slaughtered by means of automatic neck cutters unless it can be ascertained whether or not the neck cutters have effectively severed both blood vessels. When neck cutters have not been effective the bird shall be slaughtered immediately.